


Golden Week

by popfly



Category: Schitt's Creek (TV) RPF
Genre: Alarming Amounts of Domesticity, Blow Jobs, Comeplay, Complicated Feelings About Los Angeles, Dog Coparenting, Established Relationship, Face-Fucking, Grinding, Hand Jobs, Light Bondage, M/M, Pizza Night, Recreational Drug Use, Rimming, Shower Sex, Stubble Burn, Very Mild Power Play During Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:14:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 49,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22637368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/popfly/pseuds/popfly
Summary: In the week between the Emmys and the GLAAD Gala, Noah stays with Dan in LA. They have a lot of sex and a lot of feelings, and try to figure out their future.
Relationships: Dan Levy/Noah Reid
Comments: 157
Kudos: 116
Collections: RPFebruary





	1. Monday

**Author's Note:**

> This is the fic known colloquially as LA Sex Week or just sex week. It would not exist without the RPF Rosebuddies, but especially [this_is_not_nothing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/this_is_not_nothing/pseuds/this_is_not_nothing) and [thegrayness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegrayness/pseuds/thegrayness). I kind of strong armed into their friendship when we started these projects, and I absolutely one million percent wouldn't have even started this if it weren't for them. Their encouragement, hand-holding, validation, patience - not to mention Gray's speedy beta skills - throughout the last several months has been incredible and I'm immeasurably grateful for it.
> 
> P.S. If you haven't already read TINN's fic (the first of this "series") [I Guess We're Doing This](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22545481), go do that! My story lives in the same universe as hers (and Gray's, which you'll have the pleasure of reading next week), and besides that it's just really fucking good.
> 
> P.P.S. Chapter 2 - Tuesday will be posted tomorrow (Tuesday), Chapter 3 - Wednesday will be posted Wednesday, and so on through the week until Sunday. Thanks for reading. :sparkles:

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _There’s a thinly veiled disdain  
>  I mean what kind of people  
> Are afraid of the rain_  
> \- "Hate This Town", Noah Reid

Noah wakes up to the sound of scratching and whining.

He lays very still for a moment and takes stock. He knows where he is; even in a state of extreme hungover-ness, he never wakes up disoriented. His body hasn’t caught up, but his brain has. He’s in Los Angeles. Silver Lake, specifically. Dan’s house, even more specifically. Dan’s bed, even more specifically still. The room is bright with sunlight, washing the comforter in pale yellow and piercing Noah’s eyes. Noah’s very dry, burning eyes. It’s not helping his headache either.

Next to him, Dan groans. All Noah can see of him is a giant tuft of hair. It looks like a muppet is trying to eat his pillow.

The scratching and whining repeats, a little louder this time.

It takes a minute to get all his limbs coordinated before Noah manages to climb out of bed. He makes sure Dan is still covered up to his ears and then pads to the bedroom door. Redmond sits in the hallway and silently judges Noah before whining again.

“Come on,” Noah says, or croaks, because his throat is so dry his voice doesn’t work on the first try. Redmond trots ahead to the back door, pawing at it impatiently. Noah’s glad for the privacy of the fence and the giant junipers, because he realizes he’s standing on the deck wearing one sock and his undershirt and nothing else. No wonder Redmond had looked at him funny.

Dan’s backyard is really lovely. The surface of the pool glitters in the sunlight, and all the trees and shrubs are being gently ruffled by the breeze. It’s clearly later in the day than either of them would normally sleep, but it’s not disgustingly hot out yet. If Noah was more appropriately dressed, he’d consider hanging out there for a bit. But he’s not, and he also needs to piss and drink a gallon of water, and maybe put some shorts on.

He pats his bare thigh and Redmond comes running. He follows Noah to the bathroom, but a quiet “stay” keeps him in the hallway while Noah retrieves his underwear from Dan’s floor and slips them on. Noah leaves his sock lying with its mate and pulls the bedroom door shut behind him.

Redmond is doing the silent judgment thing again, sitting up very primly in the kitchen while Noah stands at the sink and chugs two glasses of water. The oven clock reads 11:46.

“Oh shit,” Noah says. “You’re probably starving.”

Noah’s been to Dan’s LA house enough to know where everything is, and he’s been around Dan and Redmond more than enough to have watched the mealtime routine numerous times. The bag of food is in the hall closet, kept closed by a clip that is also a measuring cup. Redmond sits at a polite distance while Noah fills his bowl, and another with fresh, cold water, and waits until Noah says “okay” before running forward and eating.

Food seems like a really good idea. Something easy, something to settle their day-after-champagne stomachs.

The bedroom door creaks open while Noah is buttering toast, two plates of cheesy scrambled eggs steaming on the counter. Redmond’s nails click on the hallway floor, Dan murmurs something to him, then the bathroom door closes. 

Noah dunks his toast into his coffee and takes a bite. His headache is almost entirely gone, and he feels much more human. Awake. Alive.

Dan looks supremely displeased by this when he shuffles around the corner into the kitchen. He’s wrapped up in his robe, bare toes curling on the floor. He’s clearly tried to tame his hair while he was in the bathroom, but it’s still defying gravity. His eyes are barely open.

“I made coffee. And fed Red.” Dan blinks at him. Noah can’t help but give a little chuckle. “You look adorable.”

“I hate you. Gimme.”

Noah passes a mug of coffee to Dan, taking advantage of his preoccupation to sidle close and press a kiss to his cheek. He’s extra stubbly, and it makes Noah’s lips tingle.

“Good morning.”

Dan hums and drinks more coffee. “How long have you been up?”

“Half an hour? Redmond had to pee.”

The dog in question is sitting on one of Dan’s feet, looking up at him adoringly. Noah’s face probably looks much the same. He loves sleepy, rumpled Dan.

“Sorry he woke you.”

“Nah, it’s fine.” Noah takes the plates to the little table and then sits and tucks into his eggs. Dan follows, still holding his mug to his mouth like he’d inhale the coffee if he could.

They’re quiet as they eat. It’s weird, how normal it feels even though it’s not. They rarely get days off together, and almost never in LA. There’s always a call time, work of some sort. But it’s post-Emmys Monday, and they have nothing to do all day. Or, almost nothing.

“They’re picking up my suit this afternoon,” Noah says. Dan looks up from his plate. “It’s okay that I gave your address, right?”

“Yeah, of course.” He nods. Looks down, looks up again. “Maybe I’ll answer the door and hand it over.”

“Ah. Yeah, makes sense.”

Redmond loses interest in their meal after Noah passes off a toast crust, and jumps onto the couch to curl up. Noah wants to do the exact same thing. Maybe after a shower.

“Thanks for staying,” Dan says, drawing Noah away from his lazy daydreaming. Noah tilts his head. Dan doesn’t meet his eyes, pinching at the handle of his mug. “This weekend. This week. It’s going to be really nice.”

They’d been planning it for months, since Dan was invited to the GLAAD gala. As soon as they found out where it was being held, and when, it just made sense. A whole week together in LA.

Los Angeles isn’t Noah’s favorite place. He’s never been shy about expressing that opinion. He’s lived in the city, done the whole working-actor-in-LA thing. It’s not his scene. There are too many people, too many cars, too much noise. He never felt real in Los Angeles.

But a whole week off with Dan. He’d jump at that chance no matter the locale.

“Thanks for inviting me,” Noah says. He slides his bare foot across the floor until his toes nudge Dan’s. Dan smiles down into his coffee.

“I should probably be presentable when the courier gets here,” Dan says. He wiggles his toes against Noah’s.

“You don’t want them to see your epic bedhead?”

Dan arches a perfect, full eyebrow. “If someone hadn’t gotten so handsy last night, maybe I wouldn’t look quite so much like a Dr. Seuss character this morning.”

Noah shrugs, unapologetic. As if he could resist getting his hands in Dan’s hair whenever he could. Especially champagne-drunk, mid-sloppy makeout. In his head, he replays their kiss from as soon as they walked in the door, Dan pushing Noah up against it and clumsily unbuttoning his shirt. Noah shifts in his chair and Dan’s other eyebrow goes up.

“I’m going to take a shower,” Noah announces. Dan pushes his own chair away from the table.

“Mind if I join you?”

Dan’s shower isn’t very big, but that’s what Noah likes about it. They have to stick close to each other, holding each other by the waist as they trade spots to take turns under the spray. Every time they spin it’s another opportunity for Noah to drag his sudsy palms over the hair under Dan’s navel, to let their hips and groins brush. Dan’s smirk gets more and more pronounced with each pass. They both know they didn’t choose to shower together to conserve water.

There’s shampoo in Noah’s travel bag, sitting on the bathroom counter, but it hasn’t been opened yet. Dan’s shampoo is much nicer, and smells better, too. Noah has always loved smelling it on Dan, whenever he gets the chance to press his nose or mouth to Dan’s hair, and it’s a secret little thrill to catch a whiff of it on himself. Same with Dan’s body wash, which is luxuriously lathery. He takes a small handful and scrubs it between his hands, then spreads it over Dan’s back.

“Mmm,” Dan hums, stepping out of the spray and further into Noah’s space. It makes it difficult to really cover all of Dan’s back, but at this point the washing is all pretense. The suds are just easing the way so Noah can slide his hands more easily over Dan’s skin.

He cups Dan’s shoulders, squeezing gently. There’s no tension left in the muscles there, or at the base of Dan’s neck, or in the dip of his lower back. He’s totally relaxing, almost melting under Noah’s soapy fingers. It’s rare for Dan to be so relaxed, and Noah wants to revel in it.

“That feels so good,” Dan says, almost too quiet for Noah to hear him over the spray. Noah rubs his thumbs into the spaces just under Dan’s shoulder blades, where he’s usually knotted up. He sweeps his thumbs down further, sliding alongside his spine, down to brush the top of Dan’s ass. Noah steps closer, nudging his hips up against Dan’s, moving Dan back so some of the water sluices the soap from his shoulders. Noah puts his mouth there, and Dan hums again.

“You feel so good,” Dan says, emphasizing the “you.” Noah is hard against him, shifting just enough so his dick slips against the crack of Dan’s ass.

Logistically, shower sex has never been Noah’s jam. But a warm, wet Dan is too much to resist. Plus, everything with Dan is easier than anything Noah has ever had before.

Noah’s back is getting cold, but he ignores it in favor of rutting up against Dan, splaying his palms against Dan’s chest as Dan arches back into him. He skims his fingertips over Dan’s nipples, through the hair between them, and then down his stomach.

The water eases the way when Noah closes his fingers around Dan’s cock and strokes, grip light to start, sweeping his fingers up over the crown to the tip. Dan drops his head back against Noah’s shoulder and groans. There’s a spot just under Dan’s jaw that Noah loves and from this angle he can get his mouth, his tongue, his teeth, right there. It makes Dan buck into Noah’s fist, and his hand flies up to grab the back of Noah’s head.

“Fuck,” Dan says. He holds Noah’s head in place against him and shudders.

Noah moves his hand faster, tightening his fingers. He’s getting close, Dan grinding back against him harder now, faster, and he wants Dan to come first. The movements of Dan’s hips get more frantic, and Noah has to grit his teeth, pressing them to the side of Dan’s neck.

When Dan comes, he shakes in Noah’s arms and gasps up at the ceiling. Noah strokes him through it and then uses both hands to hold Dan in place, fingers tight over Dan’s hip bones, so he can thrust against Dan’s ass until he pitches over the edge and comes, too.

The water, starting to cool off now, washes everything away down the drain, as they both try to catch their breath.

Finally Dan turns, eyes soft and grin crooked, and leans into a kiss. He hums into Noah’s mouth, flicking the tip of his tongue over Noah’s upper lip, before turning again to shut off the water.

The bathmat is super plush, and so are Dan’s towels. Noah scrubs one over his hair, drags it across his chest, then wraps it around his hips. Dan usually has a whole post-shower routine, skin care and hair care and more products than Noah can name, but he doesn’t seem too intent on going through the whole thing now. His hair is slicked back from his face and he hasn’t put his glasses back on yet. His eyes are still heavy-lidded, his body post-orgasm loose. Noah’s chest feels tight with emotion, and when he catches a glimpse of his face in the mirror over the sink, he’s alarmed by how lovesick he looks.

“What do you want to do today?” Dan asks. He’s rubbing moisturizer into his cheeks, one step he’d never skip even with a gun to his head. He swipes upward over his cheeks and forehead with gentle motions until he’s satisfied and nods to himself in the mirror. He’s wrapped up in his robe again, and it seems suddenly imperative to keep this soft, relaxed, barely clothed Dan to himself for as long as possible.

“Nothing,” Noah says, and Dan turns to him, brows furrowed. Noah reaches for him, grabbing the belt of his robe and pulling him in close. He takes a moment to choose his words. “We’ve never had a real day off together. And who knows when we’ll get another one.” Dan frowns, and Noah tugs him even closer. He gets his arms up around Dan’s neck and grabs a fistful of his wet hair. “Let’s just hang out. Laze around the house. Not make a plan.” Noah waggles his eyebrows. “Maybe don’t even get dressed.”

Dan huffs. “Now you’re just talking crazy. I keep the air conditioning way too high for that. You have to at least let me put on sweatpants.”

Noah kisses him, catches Dan’s bottom lip between his and tastes it with his tongue. He takes his time, angling his head and slowly deepening the kiss. When he finally pulls back Dan is gratifyingly flushed, and Noah’s mouth is tingling. Dan touches the tips of two fingers to Noah’s chin.

“You should let me shave,” Dan says. “I’m way pricklier than normal, and I’m giving you stubble burn.”

“Nope. I like it. I’ll negotiate on clothing, but you can shave tomorrow.” Dan looks like he might argue more, so Noah leans into Dan’s ear. “There are at least two more places I hope you’ll give me stubble burn today,” he says and punctuates his statement with a wet, sucking kiss right under Dan’s jaw.

Dan whimpers. “Ugh, not fair. I’m too old to get hard again so quickly.”

“It’s okay, Daniel.” Noah pulls back and tips Dan a wink. “We’ve got all day.” He unwraps his towel and lets it drop to the bathroom floor, Dan’s groan following him down the hallway.

Once they’re both clothed - or as clothed as Noah will allow, Dan in thin grey sweats and a white tee and Noah in shorts and a hoodie - they set about the task of gathering up the pieces of Noah’s Emmy suit and reassembling them in the garment bag. The pants are still crumpled in a heap next to Dan’s bed; Noah empties the pockets onto Dan’s nightstand.

Dan carries in Noah’s jacket and shirt, which Dan had nearly torn off of him as they stumbled in late last night. He hangs them up, smoothing his hands down the lapels. Noah quirks an eyebrow at him. Dan shrugs a shoulder.

“Just remembering how good you looked in this,” he says, giving Noah a once over that makes the hair on his forearms stand on end.

“You were really into the—” Noah breaks off as Dan drags the duvet off the bed and shakes it out. There’s a clinking as Noah’s suspenders drop to the floor. “Yeah,” Noah says, brief flashes of Dan snapping them off Noah and then using them to tie Noah’s wrists behind his back making his voice rough and his cheeks burn. “Those.”

Dan ducks his head as he adds the suspenders to the hanger. He’s blushing too, the tips of his ears getting pink. He seems embarrassed, almost. Noah has to struggle to piece the entire post-awards night together, because the afterparty really had included a lot of champagne, but he can remember being surprised at how aggressive Dan was being. Pleasantly surprised, of course. Super fucking into it, to be completely honest.

“Should I invest in more suspenders?” Noah muses as he gets on the floor and peeks under the bed. No bow tie there. “Or maybe we can find something else to tie me up with?”

When Noah stands and glances over at Dan, Dan is watching him with wide eyes.

“What?”

“You liked that?”

“Did it seem like I didn’t?”

“You were drunk.”

Noah laughs. “The fact that I was that into it while drunk should tell you how into it I actually am.”

Dan doesn’t say anything, but the look on his face gets hotter by the second. “In that case,” he finally says, “don’t worry about buying anything. I have plenty of things to tie you up with.”

That socks Noah right in the gut. Maybe that’s what the box he just saw under the bed is full of. Suddenly the whole week spreads out in front of him, all the time and the possibilities. His brain feels like its buffering, and he’s only broken out of the paralyzing deluge of fantasies by the doorbell.

“Shit,” he says, and spins in a circle, scanning the room. “I still can’t find the bow tie.”

“Oh.” Dan moves to his closet, where of course his Emmy tux is already hung up. He rummages around in the pockets and pulls out Noah’s tie. “I’ll just,” he gestures with the tie to the mostly assembled, very rumpled suit, and Noah nods. Dan tucks the tie in and zips the bag, spiriting it away to hand it off to the courier at the door.

Noah had forgotten about Dan removing his tie and keeping it in his pocket. They’d been making out in a secluded corner of the afterparty and Dan had urgently untied it and tugged it out of Noah’s collar, like he’d die if he didn’t get his mouth on Noah’s throat immediately. He’d been so hot for it, so hot for Noah. When Noah had whispered in Dan’s ear about sneaking off, he’d fully expected to get shot down. It wasn’t the brightest idea, photographers in attendance and all, but Dan had all but jumped out of his chair. Maybe it was the booze, or maybe it was the relief of the night being mostly over. Either way, that illicit handjob definitely ranked among the best of Noah’s life.

He’s still standing in the middle of Dan’s bedroom replaying it when Dan’s done with the courier.

“You okay?” Dan asks, smirking like he knows the answer to that question already. That it’s “no” and that he knows why.

“Fine,” Noah says. His voice is rough and he’s tenting his shorts. _Totally fine._

They’re kind of out of sorts after that, not sure how to just hang out. Their time together is usually so structured, and so brief. Noah trails Dan through the house, cleaning up the detritus of the weekend. Noah’s sneakers from the afterparty, which have been laying half in the hall since they got home, get lined up next to a pair of Dan’s boots near the door. Their dishes from that morning get loaded into the dishwasher. They don’t talk much, but they keep snagging each other’s glances, prolonging their eye contact until one of them grins and ducks their head. 

Eventually, they settle on the couch with their phones. Noah would protest, because it’s a day off and he knows that Dan on his phone means Dan is working, but he also knows that Dan has meetings coming up that he needs to confirm, and others to schedule, and Noah needs to allow him the time to do at least that much. It gives Noah a chance to scroll through his photos from the weekend, and check his social media notifications too. He’s been tagged in several photos on Instagram, including one he hadn’t seen yet. It’s a group shot from inside the theater, and it’s the only staged and posted photo he has of him and Dan from the ceremony. Dan is leaning into Noah’s shoulder, glass of champagne in one hand. His other hand glints with all four of David’s engagement rings.

Those fucking rings. When Dan had slid them on before the pre-party, Noah had almost lost it. They’re just show props, he doesn’t know why they made his eyes sting and his sinuses burn, why seeing them on Dan’s fingers—not while he’s playing David, but Dan in real life—made it feel like his heart was in his throat. When Noah had seen all four of them on Sunday, it was even worse. He had to hide in the hotel suite bathroom to catch his breath. And as soon as he emerged, Dan was there, sliding his fingers between Noah’s and squeezing, the four metal bands cool against his overheated skin.

Looking at them in the picture, pressed against Noah’s shoulder, brings back all of those feelings and then some. He screenshots the photo and then starts his own Instagram post. It’s a little sappier than he usually is online, but he can’t help himself. He blames the rings.

After he hits share, he makes sure to go through his feed and like the other cast and crew’s photos. Everyone had looked so good, and they’d had such a blast. Even amidst all the off-putting Hollywood-ness, he still had the best time with some of his favorite people.

And then he’d gotten to come home with Dan. A very tipsy, pushy, horny Dan. So he’d been a winner last night after all.

Noah gets the notification that @instadanjlevy liked his post and then feels the couch shift right before Dan leans in and kisses his cheek.

“That’s a really good photo,” he says, lingering close enough for his breath to warm Noah’s temple. He can smell Dan’s shampoo on both of them. He clears his throat.

“I’m sorry we don’t have more of us together from last night.” Noah still feels a mild pang of guilt about missing the carpet, even though it wasn’t technically his fault and Dan has already reassured him that it’s fine. Multiple times. Noah made it in time for their interviews, which is the really important part. Even if he doesn’t have any beautifully lit and posed Getty Images to show for it.

“We have plenty,” Dan says. And they do. Candid shots their friends took and sent them, selfies that they kept taking even though neither of them were big on selfies regularly and each one looked exactly like all the others. “We also have lots of videos.”

They also have those. Sarah had texted a link to one of them to Noah during the afterparty, while she was sitting across the table from him. The thumbnail had been damning enough. Her text had read, “Put it away, you’re in public, Reid.”

He may have been a little transparent in their interviews together. He hasn’t watched one yet, and he’s not sure when he will, but he’s gotten several text messages and DMs that are along the same lines as Sarah’s to know that he played “adoring costar and fake fiance” a little too well. He couldn’t help himself. He’s so proud of Dan, and he wanted to be sure everyone knew that.

Dan presses another kiss to Noah’s cheek before going back to his side of the couch and his phone.

After a few more minutes of Dan tapping away at the screen, he scoots over and hands Noah the TV remote. Noah tucks Dan under his arm, using one thumb to stroke Dan’s biceps, up and under the sleeve of his t-shirt, while his other presses buttons to open up Netflix. Dan has a laundry list of shows he’s been meaning to watch once he has “free time” so Noah chooses one and starts the first episode.

Midway through the second episode Noah has to pee, so he disentangles himself from Dan and stands. On his way back from the bathroom he detours to the bedroom to retrieve something from his suitcase. 

A typical off-day for Noah includes smoking and messing around on the piano or his guitar, and usually a nap. Maybe some time spent outside with a buddy or two. He doesn’t have his guitar on this trip, but he does have pot, which he’d procured almost as soon as he’d stepped off the airplane. No way would he have survived Emmy weekend completely sober.

Dan’s eyebrows lift when he sees what Noah carries into the living room with him. He pauses the TV and sits up.

“Smoke with me?”

Dan tilts his head and then nods. He makes room on the coffee table for Noah to lay everything out, and then crowds close to Noah’s shoulder to watch him pinch a perfect line of weed in the middle of the paper. Dan isn’t a big smoker, definitely not as into it as Noah is, but he’s smoked with Noah a couple of times. It’s been on Noah’s list of ideal activities for this week ever since he knew the week was happening. Getting Dan to fully let his guard down, to really relax and let go.

He rolls the joint and then watches Dan’s face as he licks the seam and presses it closed. He brandishes it at Dan, who smiles.

“Outside,” he says.

They sit on the deck in the bright, late afternoon sun, Redmond sprawled out on the lawn in a patch of shade, and pass the joint back and forth. Dan coughs on his first hit, like he always does, and Noah is endlessly charmed, like he always is. He wants to take a photo of Dan like this, leaning back in his chair, hair fluffy with no product in it, eyes squinted against the smoke drifting in front of his face. The way he holds the joint, delicately between his thumb and middle finger, the way his mouth purses around the tip. He bites his lips together hard before he exhales, and he always licks them immediately after.

Noah’s blood thrums with a good buzz and the low level of desire that’s been there all day.

After Noah stubs the joint out on the concrete, he crosses his hands behind his head and lets it drop back so he can hum contentedly up at the sky.

“You get really flushed when you’re high,” Dan says. His voice is smoke-rough. Noah looks over to see how glassy and dilated Dan’s eyes are, how wet and red his mouth is. He’s gorgeous, lounging languidly in his chair with his thighs spread. Noah wants to ruin him.

“Let’s take Redmond for a walk.” It’s a completely innocent suggestion, so opposed to where Noah’s thoughts had been heading, where Dan’s eyes and mouth and thighs had been leading him. But Redmond is right there, standing on his hind legs with his paws on Dan’s knee, and it is a beautiful day. There’s time for ruining later.

“Should I change?” Noah asks. He knows they’re trying to be as discreet as possible, but he also knows that Dan walks Redmond with friends all the time. He just doesn’t know if those friends always look like they’ve just rolled out of Dan’s bed.

Dan tilts his head. His gaze is a little more frankly appraising than Noah feels prepared to handle when they’re about to head out into public. Dan has always been weirdly into Noah in lounge clothes. “I think you’re fine. We could be exercising.”

Noah snorts and Dan smacks his arm. They gather Redmond’s leash, their sunglasses, Dan’s keys, and then slide on their shoes and head outside.

Silver Lake is fairly quiet at two o’clock in the afternoon. Sunlight filters through the leaves of the palms and jacarandas, and the sidewalks are so narrow that Noah’s elbow brushes Dan’s with every step. Redmond trots along in fits and starts, sniffing at every tree and gate and crack in the sidewalk. Dan seems perfectly happy to let him lead at his own pace, a secret smile curving one corner of his mouth.

There are many things that Noah really enjoys when he’s stoned. Music, food, sex. But a good walk outside is high on that list. Scuffing his sneakers against the cement, running his fingers through the scrubby bushes lining the front yards; everything is so viscerally good.

At corners, Redmond sits without prompting and waits for Dan to tell him it’s okay to cross the street. It’s overwhelmingly cute, the way that Dan and Redmond always are. They’re so attuned to each other. Noah can’t help crouching down at the next corner to give Redmond a good ear scratching, and a kiss to the top of his head. Redmond gives him a kiss back, a quick lick under his chin when he tips it back to look up at Dan. His smile isn’t a secret anymore.

Their route somehow manages to never hit a busy street, sticking to the shady, cozy residential ones. Dan makes a lot of turns, clearly going out of his way to make it the most Noah-friendly walk possible. It makes affection bubble up in Noah, warm and sweet and thick like caramel.

By the time they make it back to the house, Noah is a little sweaty, a lot hungry, and desperate for Dan. Not being able to touch him, even for only half an hour, has made Noah greedy for it. Combined with his buzz and the humidity and Dan’s care in showing off his neighborhood, Noah is ready to climb him like a tree.

He only waits until Dan has toed off his shoes, and Redmond has been unclipped from his leash to run off for water, before pushing Dan up against the closed front door.

“Oof,” Dan says, arms automatically going up and around Noah’s back. Noah doesn’t give him a chance to say anything else before he’s covering Dan’s mouth with his own.

The heat of Dan through his thin t-shirt is intoxicating, Noah can’t get close enough. But Dan pulls on the back of Noah’s hoodie, so Noah breaks the kiss. “Couch, couch, couch,” Dan chants, and even though Noah hates every centimeter of space between them at that moment, he can see the benefits of moving things. He lets Dan half-pull, half-push him through the living room until he falls back on the couch, barely settling before he has a lapful of Dan.

“Yes,” he groans, as Dan licks up the side of his neck. He’s very pleased with this turn of events. Dan is heavy and hot and close and his hands are gripping Noah’s shoulders, pushing them back into the cushions. Not that Noah has any plans to move, other than to shift his hips, attempting to match the rhythm that Dan sets as he grinds himself down, down, down.

“God, Dan.” Dan hasn’t lifted his mouth from Noah’s neck, and through the waves of pleasure he can feel the sting of Dan’s stubble. It’s a sharp counterpoint to the low throb of desire in his gut.

The heat between them builds and spreads until Noah feels like he’s burning up. He gets his hands up under Dan’s t-shirt to skid damply over the bare skin of his back.

“C’mere,” Noah murmurs into the humid bubble they’ve created, using his shoulder to try to nudge Dan’s mouth closer to his own. Dan seems reluctant to leave the spot he’s thoroughly ravishing on Noah’s neck, but eventually he slides his open mouth over the hinge of Noah’s jaw and across his cheek. Noah’s eyes flutter shut just as Dan seals his mouth over his.

The kiss is overwhelming, wet and sloppy and filthy. Noah gets lost in it, the slick slide of their tongues and Dan’s rumbling groans, the shift of his back muscles under Noah’s hands. He doesn’t notice how close he is to coming until he’s right there, and his spine is starting to lock up.

“Fuck,” he breathes, pulling away from Dan’s mouth, eyes flying open. Dan’s eyes are wide too, dark and hungry on Noah’s face.

“Can you come like this?” Dan asks. His voice is fucked, and sweat rolls down his temples. Noah nods. He hasn’t come in his pants like this in ages, but everything is so good. The friction, the heat and heaviness. Even the tease of layers of clothing between them. Noah just needs—

“Kiss me,” he says, and Dan dives back in. Noah slides his hands down Dan’s back, under the waistband of his pants and underwear, and holds him as close as he can while still allowing him space to move. Dan licks messily into Noah’s mouth and then Noah is gone.

His orgasm thuds through him in a slow, percussive wave that robs him of his breath and all of his muscle control. When he comes back to himself, gasping, Dan is shuddering against him and half-sobbing into Noah’s mouth. Noah unclenches his fingers from Dan’s ass, where he’s probably left ten bruises, and wraps his arms around Dan’s back.

“Holy. God.” Dan’s head drops down to Noah’s shoulder. They’re soaked through with sweat and semen and spit. Noah feels bad for Dan’s couch, but in a hazily distant way. He’s still recovering, he’ll feel more bad about it later, he’s sure.

Dan is mouthing lazily across Noah’s shoulder, and when he hits the bare skin of Noah’s neck, Noah hisses. It stings.

“Shit,” Dan says. He pulls back to examine the damage, expression somewhere between apologetic and smug. Noah lets out a breathy chuckle. “Well, you wanted stubble burn.”

“I did.” Noah touches the spot gingerly with his fingers, then tips Dan’s chin so he can give him a slow, deep kiss. “Thank you.”

“For injuring you?”

“For a top-five orgasm.” Noah grins, and Dan smiles back.

“Only top-five? Not top-three?” Noah laughs and lets his head fall back against the couch. “We’re a mess.”

“Mmhm,” Noah hums, putting his hands back under Dan’s shirt. They’ve created a little more space between themselves, so things are cooling rapidly, but Noah’s feeling wrung out and vulnerable and needs the skin-to-skin contact.

Dan must read it on Noah’s face because he sets his arms over Noah’s shoulders and tips his head forward for another kiss. He keeps it light, drifting away to brush his lips across Noah’s cheeks before coming back to his mouth.

The moment passes when Dan’s stomach rumbles, loudly. Noah laughs.

“Late lunch, or early dinner?” He suggests.

“Let me get my phone.”

When Dan climbs off his lap Noah looks down at himself and grimaces. “You order, I’ll shower.”

“Go quickly, I’m next.”

They’re both clean and redressed by the time the doorbell rings. Dan answers the door and Noah lurks to take bags out of his hands. There really is an astounding amount of bags.

Noah gapes as Dan spreads everything out on the kitchen counter.

“I know,” Dan says, getting down plates. “Blame the pot and the amazing orgasm.”

“Well, worst case we’ll have lunch tomorrow.”

“Oh, Noah. You underestimate me,” Dan says, and hands Noah a fork.

They do demolish a good amount of what they ordered, passing containers back and forth. Noah catalogues every quiet moment, every offhand comment, every exchanged look. They’re in a beautiful little bubble, caught between their surreal weekend and the looming reality of the future, and Noah doesn’t want to forget even the seemingly mundane parts of it.

When they’re groaningly full they pack the leftovers away in the fridge and go back to the couch. They slowly tangle up together, Dan’s head tucked under Noah’s chin, his foot rubbing up the inside of Noah’s ankle. Redmond turns in circles on the end cushion before flumping down. Dan presses play on the remote, Noah presses his cheek to Dan’s hair and tries not to fall immediately asleep.

He makes it through two episodes before his eyelids start to droop. Dan has slid down until his head is in Noah’s lap, knees pulled up so he can fit in the space between Noah and the arm of the couch. He’s breathing deep and even, chest rising and falling under Noah’s loosely curled fingers, but every now and then he laughs so Noah knows he’s not asleep. The light still filtering in through the sliding doors is golden, and everything feels completely perfect.

Which is making Noah feel unusually melancholy.

They may have a week together, but everything beyond that is unknown. Dan has a new network deal, and a new house to move into, and he’s going to be in LA pretty much full time. They’ve barely talked about it. Noah is supportive, of course he is, the TV deal is a dream come true for Dan and no one deserves it more. But he doesn’t want to be another relic of Dan’s old life.

He uncurls his fingers on Dan’s chest, presses until he feels Dan’s heart beating against his palm. Dan tilts his head back to look up at Noah out of the corner of his eye.

“Hi.” Dan’s voice is so soft and sleepy. Noah wants to gather him up and hug him, or stretch out with him on the couch, slotted together from knees to hips to hands to mouths. He wants to lock them in this house and stop time. 

He wants to get back to the pure contentment of the sunny, smoke-filled backyard from earlier that day.

“Hi,” Noah says back. He stretches as much as he can without jostling Dan too much. “Trying not to fall asleep.”

“We’ve only been awake for like seven hours,” Dan says, but he pauses the TV and flips around until he can look directly up at Noah. 

“We had a busy weekend!” Noah protests.

“And a busy day.” Dan tucks his tongue into his cheek.

“And that.” Noah slides his fingers into the front of Dan’s hair. It’s so soft and thick. Noah closes his hand into a fist and tugs a little. Dan’s eyelids flutter closed. Noah lets go and starts over again, stroking and then pulling gently.

Dan sighs. “I could maybe be talked into an early bedtime.”

Noah chuckles, strokes Dan’s hair again and pulls. “Glass of wine in the yard? I’m sure Red needs to go out one more time.” At the other end of the couch, Redmond perks up his ears. “Then bed.”

“You have the best ideas.”

It’s cooled off a little outside, but it’s still warm. It’s just starting to get dark, everything beyond the pool is barely visible, and Redmond is just a shadow sniffing along the fenceline.

Dan brings out the wine glasses, a generous pour in each, and sets one in front of Noah. He drops a kiss on the top of Noah’s head as he does, and then settles into the chair on the other side of the table. Noah can feel the dopey smile spreading across his face, but he’s powerless to stop it.

“I’m going to miss this yard,” Dan says.

That does the trick.

Noah takes a fortifying sip of wine. “Your new place has a nice one,” he says. He still has the realtor’s site open in a tab on his phone. He’s flicked through the pictures so many times he feels like he has the place memorized. It will look different by the time Dan moves in, new paint and rugs and furniture, but Noah likes knowing where the kitchen built-ins are, the doors and windows. He’s just gotten used to Dan’s current house, who knows when he’ll get the chance to get to know the new one.

“It does. It’s just...” Dan trails off. Noah sneaks a glance at him. He’s swirling his wine glass, looking out into the yard. The outside light glides along the top of his cheekbone, making the stubble on his jaw look even darker. He’s biting the inside of his cheek.

“It’s a lot of new, all at once,” Noah says. Dan nods, and turns his head to meet Noah’s eyes. “Change is hard. Even if it’s good change.”

“Yeah.” Dan’s eyes flick back and forth over Noah’s face. “Would you want to go see the place? My new place? My new house.”

“Of course.”

“Great. Okay.” Dan looks back out at the yard, and doesn’t clarify when. 

Redmond finishes his business and comes up onto the deck, sniffing across Dan’s bare feet and then over to Noah’s. Noah leans forward to scratch between Redmond’s ears.

“How early do you have to be up tomorrow?” Noah asks.

“My meeting is at 9 a.m. So, 7 a.m.? Ish? I have no idea how long it’s going to last, either.”

He sounds nervous, and apologetic. Noah smoothes his hand down one of Redmond’s silky ears. “That’s fine. Me and this guy will just have a lazy morning.”

“Don’t make me jealous of my dog.”

They finish their wine as night fully falls, muted traffic sounds and the rustling of palm leaves filling the silence.

Noah’s bedtime routine is basically nonexistent, so after he brushes his teeth he lays in Dan’s bed and messes around on his phone while Dan goes through his own routine in the bathroom. Noah can see him in the mirror, through the open door, dabbing something under his eyes with his ring fingers.

When he’s done he clicks off all the lights and gets into bed. Noah’s phone screen is bright in the room, and then Dan’s phone lights up, too. He’ll be scrolling Instagram for a bit, Noah knows, and probably answering more emails. Noah clicks his phone off and sets it on the bedside table, scooting over close to where Dan is warm and getting warmer under the covers.

“Will this keep you up?” Dan asks, tilting his phone. Noah settles his head close enough to Dan’s shoulder that he can feel the muscles flex as Dan types. He slips a hand under Dan’s shirt to settle over his navel.

“Nope. Will this?” Noah scratches his nails through the hair on Dan’s stomach.

“Nope.” Noah can see the edges of Dan’s smile in the light from his screen. Noah tilts his face up.

“Good night.”

Dan leans down to press his response to Noah’s lips. “Good night.”

He falls asleep with Dan’s belly rising and falling under his fingers.


	2. Tuesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _and i remember the time  
>  and i remember the place  
> i don’t remember the lines  
> i don’t know what to say  
> and i’ve been there before  
> but i don’t know the way  
> to go home_  
>  \- "Road Again", Noah Reid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Definitely wrote this chapter before Dan did the Vogue video and we learned he lives in a unit in a building and doesn't have his own backyard and pool. OH WELL.

Noah blinks awake to the sounds of Dan grumbling over his phone alarm. He’s sitting up on the edge of the bed just out of Noah’s reach, t-shirt stretching over the broad planes of his shoulders as he shuts the alarm off and stretches.

Shifting over before Dan can stand, Noah curls up around him and presses his face into Dan’s hip.

“Sorry, I didn’t want to wake you.” Dan’s hand comes down on the back of Noah’s neck, fingertips scrubbing along his hairline.

“S’fine,” Noah mumbles into the fabric of his sweatpants. He’s already half-asleep again. Dan’s warmth slides away from him, and he hears Dan murmur something right before he feels a kiss brushed against his cheek.

When he comes awake fully he has a mouthful of fur, and the room is warm and brightly lit by sunshine. He’s sprawled on Dan’s side of the bed with Redmond curled up beside him. Red is snoring softly in his sleep, and doesn’t move a centimeter when Noah sits up and reaches over him for his phone.

There’s coffee in the pot in the kitchen, still warm. Noah makes himself a cup and goes right out to the backyard. He wonders if Dan will bring the chairs and the table from his deck with him to the new place. The tentative timeline for the move has been set, depending on when the work is done at the new place. Dan’s having people over Friday night for a pizza-and-packing party, which Noah is half-dreading and half-excited for. In Toronto, the intersection of the Venn diagram of Dan’s friends and Noah’s friends is large. In Los Angeles, it’s almost non-existent.

But if Noah wants to be a part of Dan’s life long-term—and he does, very much—then he needs to be a part of Dan’s LA life.

It’s something Noah is still coming to terms with.

Redmond comes into the kitchen while Noah is pouring another cup of coffee. He sits obediently next to his bowls and looks up at Noah expectantly.

“Did your dad not feed you before he left?” Redmond doesn’t respond. Noah chews his lip. It was probably too early. Noah should probably feed him. Redmond wouldn’t be asking if he wasn’t hungry.

Noah doesn’t want to interrupt Dan’s meeting to ask, so he just gets out the food and fills Redmond’s bowl.

“Okay,” Noah says, and Redmond starts crunching away.

If Dan has another early workday, they’ll have to coordinate Redmond’s schedule ahead of time.

Redmond joins Noah in the yard after his breakfast, and they lounge around for a while. Noah fields a phone call from Miranda about the show they’re playing together in Toronto next week, and they chat for a minute about the Emmys and LA, shooting the shit about the show Miranda went to the night before, the new music their mutual friends are making. Hanging up, Noah wishes he’d brought his guitar along. He wonders if there’s a music store in the area where he could go and play.

Instead of looking that up, because he’s not all that motivated to leave the house, he moves from the yard to the living room and starts scrolling through the playlists on his phone to find songs he wants to play at the show.

He’s lying on the couch, Tom Waits crooning out of his phone on his chest, contemplating getting up to heat leftovers for lunch, when Redmond gives a little bark and runs over to the front door.

Dan comes in in a flurry of motion; keys get hung on the hook on the wall, shoes get toed off and nudged into alignment in the hall, bag gets slung off his shoulder, and then he crouches to tousle Redmond’s ears. He glances up and catches Noah’s eye, a smile blooming across his face.

Once Redmond has been properly greeted, Dan comes over to the couch. Noah shifts so there’s room for Dan to perch near Noah’s hip. Tom is singing about taking it with him, and Dan leans over him to say, “Hi.” His face is doing something complicated, like it always does, only this time Noah can’t read it as easily as he usually can. Noah turns Tom down and reaches behind his head to put the phone on the end table. Dan leans closer and Noah tilts his head up for a kiss.

“How did your meeting go?” Noah asks when Dan pulls back. He looks more like the Dan Noah is used to: stubble trimmed neatly down to barely a shadow, hair perfectly coiffed. He’s wearing a button-up with barely a wrinkle in it and black jeans. His shoulders are tense.

He shrugs one. “Good? Weird.” He slips one hand under the hem of Noah’s hoodie, stroking over Noah’s stomach. “It’s nice coming home to this.” Noah lets that statement spread through him, warm and heady. But he doesn’t let it distract him.

“Why was the meeting weird?”

The motion of Dan’s hand stills on Noah’s stomach, and he frowns. “It was—” he stops and tilts his head. He’s a writer through-and-through, always so careful about the way he words things. It’s something Noah has always appreciated about him, so he’s fine with waiting Dan out.

“It’s just more new-ness,” Dan starts. “My manager wants me to meet with potential writing partners and producers. I need to pick an idea to work on, and it’s going to be strange. It’s—” Noah places his hand on top of Dan’s where it’s still under his hoodie, squeezes around the layer of fabric. “It’s just another reminder that our project is over.”

“Hey,” Noah reaches up with his other hand to hook around the back of Dan’s neck. He tucks his thumb up behind Dan’s ear, just below the arm of his glasses. “First of all, only our first project is over. You’re forgetting that we’ll be working together again.”

Dan’s mouth twists in the semblance of a smile. “Ah yes, right. The Catherine to my Eugene, was it? How could I forget that incredibly subtle and ambiguous statement.”

“I don’t know,” Noah says, and Dan lets his grin appear. Noah returns it.

“And second?” Dan prompts after a beat.

“Second of all, you’re brilliant. Whatever idea you land on next is going to be amazing. And I bet there are dozens of people ready to jump at the chance to write with you, or give you money to make TV. You’ll have your pick of the litter, so you’ll absolutely end up with great partners.”

“Funny, that’s almost exactly what my manager said.”

“Wow, your manager is really smart.” Noah gives Dan a moment to roll his eyes before tugging him down for another kiss. “Daniel,” he says, keeping Dan close. “Everything is going to work out great.”

“I know. I do. I just need to freak out about it a little first.”

“I know.” Noah strokes his thumb behind Dan’s ear. “Good thing I’m here.”

“Good thing.”

Not wanting to let the moment get the better of him, Noah says, “I was just thinking about lunch. Did you eat?”

“No,” Dan says. He’s curling over Noah like he wants to settle in for a while.

“Maybe we should do that?”

“Mmhm. We absolutely should.”

Noah lets Dan nuzzle his face into Noah’s neck, then winces when Dan’s nose hits a spot still tender from the day before. Dan pulls back sharply.

“Shit, sorry. Still?”

“You really gave it to me good.” Dan looks torn between apologizing again or commenting on the innuendo. Noah doesn’t give him the chance to do either. “You’re slacking though.”

“How’s that?”

“I still have two more places I was hoping to get stubble burn.” Noah waggles his eyebrows and Dan laughs. “Come on, lunch.”

They nuke leftovers, then eat them standing up at the counter, hip-to-hip. Noah definitely doesn’t drop anything on the floor for Redmond, who has mastered the art of begging without looking like he’s begging.

“You’re going to spoil him,” Dan complains.

“Speaking of,” Noah says, pushing another couple of crumbs off of his plate. “Did you feed him before you left this morning?”

“No. Fuck, I’m sorry, I meant to leave you a note or text or something.”

“No big. I fed him. I just wondered if we double fed.”

“If he had two breakfasts and was still begging at lunch I’d be a little concerned.”

Noah laughs and drops something else for Redmond to grab.

Dan’s phone buzzes on the counter, and Stacey’s photo pops up. “Oh my god,” Dan says, scooping it up and swiping to accept the FaceTime call. “Hi!”

“Hi!” Stacey’s voice is echo-y through the speakers. Noah starts to clean up the containers and plates, intent to leave them to their conversation.

“Are you home?” Dan asks.

“Just walked in the door. What are you up to?”

“We just finished lunch,” Dan says. The casual “we” makes Noah’s stomach swoop. He knows that Stacey knows—hell, she’s 75% of the reason they’re even together. At least. But still.

“Ooh, show me Noah,” Stacey coos. Dan glances over, eyebrows raised and giant smile on his face. Noah side steps until he’s in frame and waves. “Hi Noah! How’s sex week going?”

“Oh my god!” Dan exclaims, and goes spectacularly pink. Noah can’t help the burst of laughter.

“What?” Stacey asks. No one does feigned innocence better than Stacey Farber. Noah slides his arm around Dan’s back, sneaking his hand down to squeeze his ass. 

“It’s only Tuesday,” Noah says. “Ask us again on Saturday.”

Stacey cackles and Dan just shakes his head. His neck is still pink, but he’s laughing too.

“Moving along,” Dan says.

“Right. I didn’t just call hoping for juicy details. Want to get dinner tonight?”

Dan looks to Noah, and Noah shrugs. “I’m down,” he says.

“Thanks for the enthusiasm,” Stacey says, but she’s smiling. “You look happy.”

It’s directed to Dan, and it’s probably meant to embarrass him further, but Noah can tell that she means it, and she’s happy for him. Noah can’t resist leaning up to kiss Dan’s cheek before backing away and letting them talk.

Redmond’s hanging by the back door, so Noah lets him out into the yard and follows. He thinks about asking Dan if they can take another walk, but the day has gotten hotter and more humid, and the pool looks really, really inviting.

His swim trunks are still packed, so he crosses back through the kitchen headed for Dan’s room and his suitcase just in time to hear Stacey sing, “Enjoy your afternoon delight!”

“I hate you,” Dan says, tone saying exactly the opposite. “See you later.” He hangs up and turns to roll his eyes at Noah. Noah grins.

“Afternoon delight, eh?”

“She’s a monster,” Dan says. Again, his tone gives him away.

“Who dubbed this week ‘sex week’?” Noah asks.

“As if I’d ever be that crass.”

“I don’t know,” he teases. “I like it. Short, sweet, straight to the point.” Dan shakes his head, pressing his lips together to hold back a smile. “Want to go for a swim?”

The pool is sun-warm but still cooler than the muggy air, and it feels amazing as Noah lowers himself in. Dan sits on the edge and dangles his legs in, kicking back and forth a few times.

“Stacey’s inviting some other people tonight,” he says. Noah bobs himself closer.

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Since she’s been gone for a while she wanted to get as much of the LA crew together as possible.”

Noah insinuates himself between Dan’s thighs, hooking his elbows over them to keep himself afloat. “Okay.”

“Not everyone knows.” Dan chews his lip, smoothes his hands over Noah’s wet shoulders.

“Ah.” It’s not that their relationship has to be a secret, Noah knows. They’ve sort of mutually decided to keep it as private as possible for the time being without really talking about it. “Well, we’d be pretty lowkey out in public no matter who was there, right?” Dan nods. “Then don’t worry about it.” Noah tucks his hands behind Dan’s knees and tugs him a little bit further into the water. “Besides, I’m looking forward to meeting more of your ‘LA crew’.”

Dan nudges Noah away just enough for him to slide fully into the pool, then pulls him back in close. He keeps one elbow up on the edge of the pool and wraps his other hand around the back of Noah’s neck so he can kiss him without drowning them both.

“If you’re going for ‘afternoon delight’,” Noah murmurs, hands gripping at Dan’s waist under the water, “we should move to the shallow end.”

“Sorry,” Dan murmurs back, and brushes his thumb tenderly over Noah’s hairline. “I have a strict ‘no come in the pool’ policy.”

“So much for not being crass.”

Dan tightens his hand on the back of Noah’s neck, dragging him forward like he’s going in for a kiss. Noah parts his lips in anticipation, but instead of getting a kiss he gets a mouthful of water as Dan shoves him under.

He comes up spluttering, and Dan’s already halfway across the pool. “Oh, it’s on,” he yells, and gives chase.

The pool isn’t very large, so it’s not hard for Noah to catch up and get his hands on Dan’s shoulders to give him a payback dunk.

There’s something about a pool that brings out the child in everyone. They chase each other back and forth, splashing and laughing, working even Redmond up until he’s running along the side of the pool, barking.

“Truce,” Dan yells, furiously rubbing his eyes and panting after a particularly vicious wave Noah sent his way. Noah glides up next to him, crouching a bit in the shallows so only his head is above water. Dan is flushed, hair slicked over his forehead until he shoves it back into crazy spikes to keep it from dripping into his eyes. Noah puts his arms around Dan’s waist, staying low in the water. He squeezes, bobbing to make Dan think he’s going to lift him off his feet to toss him again.

“Noah,” Dan warns, pushing against Noah’s biceps. “I called a truce.”

“I’m not going to throw you,” Noah assures. Dan squints down at him skeptically. “I was thinking of a different game. Let’s see who can hold their breath for longer.”

Before Dan can respond, Noah submerges himself. He ducks down low enough to get his arms curled around Dan’s thighs, crouching between them so he can plant his feet and stand, lifting Dan out of the water. There’s a precarious moment when Dan goes from weightless to weighted in Noah’s hold, and he starts to tip backwards.

“Dont!” Dan cries, flinging his arms around Noah’s neck, clearly thinking Noah is going to go against his word and throw him anyway. He seems surprised when Noah deposits him on the side of the pool instead. “What?” He asks, letting go of Noah to settle himself better, and as much as Noah hates not having Dan wrapped around him, this is a much better position for his new plan. 

He traces the shining wet curve of Dan’s biceps and down over his forearms to circle his wrists. “I thought we were playing a game,” Dan says. Noah tightens his fingers.

“We are.”

“You barely stayed under, so if that’s you showing off how long you can hold your breath, consider me unimpressed.”

“I never said I was going to hold my breath underwater.”

One of Dan’s eyebrows arches sharply, immediately catching Noah’s drift. “What about my rule?”

“No come in the pool?” Dan nods, and Noah curls his mouth in a smirk. “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll get it all.”

“And this?” Dan asks, testing Noah’s grip on his wrists. 

“This,” Noah says, pressing down as Dan tries to lift up, keeping Dan’s hands flat on the ground, “is me showing you where I want you to stay while I give my demonstration.”

“Ah.” Dan curls his fingers over the lip of the pool and then goes completely still. A shiver works its way up Noah’s spine. “Well then. Show me what you got.”

There’s so much of Dan bare and available to Noah that he doesn’t know where to start. He doesn’t dive right in the way Dan’s clearly expecting him to, instead choosing to mouth the pool water off of Dan’s collarbones and chest. His skin is cool but warming up quickly under Noah’s lips, prickling all over as Noah moves. Noah loves all of the different textures of Dan’s body: the coarseness of the hair that covers his arms and legs and chest, the soft give of his waist, the firmness of his thighs. They’re made all the more interesting when they’re still slick with water.

Noah flicks his tongue over Dan’s nipple, looking up through his lashes to see Dan’s reaction. Dan groans, a rumble Noah can feel under his mouth, and his chin tips forward onto his chest.

“Didn’t know this was part of the game.” Dan’s voice is already low and breathy. Noah licks across his chest.

“I’m pre-gaming,” Noah says, right against his other nipple, before giving it a tug with his lips.

A quiet “fuck” shakes out of Dan. “This is unfair.”

Noah just shrugs, not willing to remove his mouth from Dan’s skin long enough to respond.

Dan’s legs are starting to tremble where they’re spread around Noah, but his hands haven’t moved even a millimeter. Noah finally releases his wrists so he can grope Dan’s thighs, rubbing up over the swells of muscle, sweeping in to feel the soft skin just below the hem of his swim trunks. Sitting the way he is, the fabric is pulled too tight for Noah to get his hands underneath, so he has to skim over it instead, up to where Dan is visibly hard. He doesn’t touch, brushing his thumbs around, spreading his fingers to pull the trunks even tighter and dragging the wet fabric back and forth over Dan’s cock.

Dan hisses through his teeth. His stomach is tense under Noah’s lips.

It’s overwhelming, Dan curled over Noah’s head, shaking and breathing ragged when Noah has barely done anything. The power of it, and the control, knowing that Dan has a white-knuckle grip on the edge of the pool so he can obey Noah’s command; it’s exhilarating enough to make Noah achingly hard.

Standing in the pool, Noah’s head comes up to about Dan’s chin, so he has to press up against Dan’s thighs and go to his tiptoes to be able to get his mouth on Dan’s neck. Dan turns his head so he’s gasping directly into Noah’s ear. It turns to a whine when Noah seals his lips against the spot under Dan’s jaw that he loves and sucks.

“Noah,” Dan whines, tilting his head. “Come here.”

Noah’s desperate for a kiss himself, but that’s part of the tease, so he stays away. He does slide his mouth over Dan’s jaw though, where his stubble is thickest, to feel the sting of it. Dan is blinking hard and fast, making Noah think there might be tears in his eyes already, but then he notices the droplets of water rolling down from Dan’s hairline into his eyes.

“Oh, baby,” he says, the endearment an impulse he can’t quite quash. The fact that Dan’s hands are still clamped tightly to the edge of the pool despite his obvious discomfort makes something tender bloom in Noah’s chest.

Noah pushes Dan’s hair back from his forehead, smoothing over it with a palm to get the worst of the wet off the ends, and then wipes water gently off Dan’s face. He surges up to kiss a couple of drops out of the corners of Dan’s eyes, and then gives him a brief brush of mouth-on-mouth as a reward.

“Thank you for not moving,” Noah says. “Tip your head back so your hair doesn’t drip into your eyes again.”

“But then I can’t watch,” Dan says, like that would be way worse than pool water in the eyes. Noah lightly touches his thumb to Dan’s bottom lip, letting himself sink back down into the water.

“Are you enjoying the show so far then?” Noah lowers his lashes and drags his fingertips down Dan’s abdomen to the waistband of his swim trunks.

“I’d enjoy it much more if we fast forward to the denouement.”

It’s instinctive at this point, taking direction from Dan. Even though it’s Noah’s game, he still wants to please Dan, do a good job for him, so he speeds things up just a fraction. He can get Dan desperate and on edge a little quicker if that’s what Dan would like.

Noah tucks his fingers into Dan’s waistband and pulls it away from his stomach. Dan’s dick is flushed red and wet and instantly makes Noah’s mouth water. He draws the elastic down and tests the give before settling it under Dan’s balls, then leans back to admire the view.

“Look at you,” he says. Dan’s thighs flex, clamping tight to Noah’s sides like he wants to close them. His forearms are shaking. Noah looks up and Dan meets his gaze, bottom lip caught between his teeth. “You’re gorgeous.”

Dan’s eyes slip closed, then flutter open again.

“Tell me if that starts to hurt,” Noah says, and Dan nods. It’s tight but doesn’t seem too tight, but Noah runs his fingers along the inside of the elastic just to double-check that it’s not digging in anywhere. Then he gets back to the task at hand.

Noah scrapes the nails of one hand through the hair that covers Dan from the base of his dick to his navel, catching and tugging. He uses his teeth on one of Dan’s nipples at the same time, and is gratified by the choked off groan that shudders out of Dan’s mouth. The backyard may be visually private, but sound still carries.

The insides of Dan’s thighs are next, Noah shouldering them as far apart as they can get before ducking down to suck a bruise into one. The water ripples around Noah as he moves, and his own swim trunks billow and brush against his dick. He has to reach down and adjust himself so he’s not distracted, and even the glancing touch of his fingers as he tucks himself up shocks him into using his teeth.

“Fuck,” Dan spits, a short sharp exhalation of noise. Noah soothes over the red mark with his tongue.

Halfway through making a matching mark on Dan’s other thigh, Dan breaks. He doesn’t move his hands, but he does shift himself forward a little, and he whispers, “Please.”

“Hm?” Noah hums, moving far enough up Dan’s thigh that he knows Dan can feel the vibration in his balls. Dan shivers. “I didn’t hear you.” He tilts his head sideways so he can get a look at Dan’s face, and then blows a stream of warm air over Dan’s dick.

Dan is shaking his head side to side, drying hair starting to curl over his forehead. “Can’t be louder,” he whispers.

“Good point. Maybe just repeat what you said so I can read your lips?”

If Dan wasn’t so far gone he’d probably have a smart ass response to Noah’s teasing. But he just licks his lips and repeats himself in a throaty stage whisper. “Please.”

Who is Noah to deny him after that? He gets his lips wet and then closes them over the head of Dan’s dick. He’s already leaking, so Noah tongues his slit, and then slides his mouth down as far as he can go. He pulls back, sucking harder, until he pops off and Dan’s hips jerk.

“You taste,” Noah says, breaking up his sentence with a long, slow lick, “so good.”

They haven’t had a tonne of opportunities to do this, but Noah still has a catalogue in his head of all the moves that really work for Dan. He knows when and how to vary pressure, when to get one hand in on the action, when to back off and spend some time on Dan’s balls, the thin skin of his upper thighs. He’s brought Dan to the edge and back again with his mouth enough times to know how far he can push, and when to stop.

There’s a particular noise that Noah is waiting for, working towards, as he works his tongue on the underside of Dan’s cock, using his hands to hold Dan’s thighs open so he can’t clamp them around Noah’s shoulders.

When Dan makes that noise, the high, broken whimper that makes Noah’s blood run so hot he’s surprised he isn’t boiling the pool, Noah lets Dan’s dick slip from his mouth.

Dan’s eyes are glassy and his lower lip is bitten red. Noah pushes himself up so he can kiss it.

“You doing okay?” He checks in, sliding a hand down Dan’s arm to his wrist. His knuckles are white and every tendon in his arms is standing out in sharp relief. Dan nods distractedly, chasing Noah’s mouth. Noah gives him another kiss, then slips back down into the water.

“Just a little longer, baby, you’re doing so good.” Noah gives the tip of Dan’s cock a delicate kiss, then licks the precome off his lips before sliding them down again. He takes Dan as deep as he can, over and over. Noah is so hard in his trunks he hurts, and he’s ready to come, but he wants to bring Dan to the edge one more time.

The keening noise comes a little quicker this time, followed by a burst of harsh, ragged breath. Noah pets at Dan’s thighs, bites the skin folding over his abs. Dan is curled so far over Noah at this point, Noah can feel Dan’s gasps against the top of his head.

Noah waits until Dan relaxes slightly and then takes him in again. This time he doesn’t fuck around. Steady suction, long strokes, and one knuckle pressed right up behind Dan’s balls where the waistband of his swim trunks sits. Noah feels himself getting frantic right alongside Dan, hips moving under the water and making small waves lap underneath Dan’s spread thighs.

“Fuck, fuck, god, fuck,” Dan chants, voice tight and hushed. He tenses and then starts to shudder hard as his cock pulses in Noah’s mouth.

By the time he’s completely spent, Noah is almost out of his head with the need to be touched. Noah licks Dan clean, then taps the backs of his hands.

“You can move. Move, move back,” he says, pushing at Dan’s wrists, at his knees, making him scramble backwards into the grass so Noah can heave himself out of the pool. Dan sprawls on his back, dragging the waistband of his trunks back up just before Noah crawls over him and crushes their mouths together.

Noah shoves his hand into his shorts and frantically fists his dick, hissing at the first touch. He’s ready to explode, strung out on Dan’s obedience and the way he’s hungrily licking his own taste out of Noah’s mouth. Dan gets his hands on Noah’s ass and squeezes, and Noah twists his palm over the head of his dick, rearing back and up so he can watch himself shoot all over Dan’s chest and belly.

After a second of admiring the mess, he collapses on top of Dan, smearing it between them. Dan grimaces slightly and rolls his eyes, but his kiss is warm and the noise he makes when Noah shimmies against him is more pleased than grossed out.

“You love it,” Noah says against Dan’s mouth.

“I’m perplexed by your obsession with coming in my body hair, but I’m happy it makes you happy. I guess.”

Noah laughs, nuzzling up under Dan’s jaw. The grass is tickling his knees, and he can’t imagine Dan is comfortable at all, but he doesn’t want to move.

“Are you good?” Noah asks, slipping a hand down over Dan’s arm to his wrist, rubbing it gently before twining their fingers together. He finds his favorite spot below Dan’s ear and brushes his mouth back and forth over it. Dan hums and squeezes Noah’s hand.

“I’m good,” he says, low, neck vibrating under Noah’s lips. Then, louder, “I’m sticky and covered in grass though.” He bucks his hips in an attempt to knock Noah off of him, then swats Noah’s ass with his free hand. “Up. Shower. We need to get ready for dinner.”

Packing for this trip had been hard. Formal events, and lounging around the house, and the few plans he and Dan had discussed—the appropriate wardrobe for each covered a pretty wide spectrum. Noah had had a brief, panicked moment of staring into his closet, thinking about going out with Dan and friends, looking at his collection of shirts and jackets that were perfect for his lifestyle but not really for a night out in LA. Then he’d reminded himself that Dan has seen basically all of Noah’s outfits, and while he does like to gently rib Noah about his sartorial choices, he still loves him and is attracted to him and wants to be seen with him in public.

It’s an uncomfortable and unusual feeling for Noah to actually care about what people think of his clothing.

Even with his dithering, he’s still dressed before Dan, who has been in the bathroom restyling his hair since they’d gotten out of the shower. Noah joins him at the mirror and admires their reflections. Dan’s wearing nothing but a white tee and his underwear, barefoot on the tile.

It takes Noah about 30 seconds of ruffling his growing out hair with his fingers before he’s satisfied, and he turns to prop his hip on the counter so he can blatantly study Dan as he primps.

“I just want you to know that it’s infuriating, how little work you have to do to look so good,” Dan says. It suffuses Noah with a warmth that has nothing to do with the steam still lingering in the air.

“Please,” Noah says. “You could go out straight from the shower and still be the hottest guy in any room.”

The tips of Dan’s ears go adorably pink, and he ducks his chin down. “Well,” he says, and then clears his throat. “That is a really lovely thing to say, and I thank you for it, but you are also strongly biased.”

“Eh.” Noah scoots forward enough to brush his nose against the sleeve of Dan’s tee, getting a good sniff of the sweet tobacco cologne he favors, brushing a light kiss against his biceps. Then he leaves him to his grooming and goes to make sure Redmond gets his dinner.

They walk to the restaurant, and it’s the first time Noah has seen a hint of actual Los Angeles since Sunday night. Stepping out onto the busy street is like stepping out of a dream. Even on their walk the day before they’d only seen a few other people, and the sounds of the city were muted by the closeness of the houses and the lushness of the plants that surrounded them. Noah’s palms get clammy, and he tucks them into the pockets of his jeans.

Seeming to sense the change in Noah’s demeanor, Dan gives him a bracing smile before swinging open the door to the restaurant.

It’s Tuesday, but the place is busy. Not packed, but there are enough people to make a din. Stacey spots them immediately, jumping up from a long table near the back of the room. Dan makes a beeline for her.

They hug for a drawn-out moment, Stacey catching Noah’s eyes over Dan’s shoulder and tipping him a wink. He finds he’s almost as thrilled to see her as Dan is, and accepts an equally lengthy hug from her as soon as Dan is released. There’s a flurry of hugs and greetings and introductions after that, and Noah’s relieved by how many people he already knows.

“The LA-nadians,” Shailene laughs when Noah comments on it. “We just gravitate towards each other, no matter where we are.”

Stacey appears to be directing the evening, guiding Dan and Noah to seats on either side of her. On the one hand, Noah’s glad for the distance. After 48 hours of living in each other’s pockets, they’re so used to casual touches that Noah’s not sure either one of them would realize they’re doing it. On the other hand, it makes Noah feel unmoored, which is silly because Noah has known Stacey longer than he’s known Dan.

“So,” she says, slinging her arm around the back of Noah’s chair. For a brief moment, Noah panics that she’s going to say something about “sex week.” Beyond the shining fall of her hair, Noah can see Dan turn just slightly away from his own conversation. “What’s it like being back in Los Angeles?”

That’s a complicated question, especially when he’s already feeling out of his element. Before he can organize his thoughts, Elena across the table says, “Oh, you’ve lived here before?”

“Do you not recognize Kevin From Work?” Stacey pokes his shoulder blade and he laughs.

“I had a short-lived American television career,” he says to Elena. Then to Stacey he says, “It’s been weird, being back. Good, but weird.”

“Are you thinking of moving back? Now that, you know.” Elena waves her hand between Dan and Noah and his heart rate jumps. “Now that your project is over.”

“Oh.” He laughs, and he’s sure it only sounds strangled to his own ears. And maybe Dan’s. From the way Stacey touches his back, she must pick up on it, too. “I’m not sure yet what my plans are.”

“He’s probably barely recovered from his Emmy hangover, cut him some slack.” Stacey removes her arm from Noah’s shoulders and leans forward in her chair. “Shailene, tell us about what you’re working on right now.”

Across Stacey’s back, Dan tilts his head and pops an eyebrow at Noah. Noah smiles back to reassure Dan that he’s fine, and then tunes in to Stacey.

Once they’ve ordered drinks and food, the conversations splinter off again. Dan is telling Stacey about his meeting that morning, and Noah is talking theater with Shailene and Vinessa who are sat on the other side of him. They each have much different experiences. Shailene has done some off-Broadway plays in New York and Vinessa swears up and down that the LA theater scene isn’t as bleak as everyone outside of the city believes it to be.

“Vinessa, have you taken an acting class here recently?” Shailene asks. She turns to Noah. “A friend of mine just enrolled in one because she’s been doing sitcom comedy for so long that she wanted to work out her drama muscles, you know?” She looks back and forth between Vinessa and Noah, clearly building anticipation for her next line. “Every scene they were workshopping was from a movie.”

“What?” Noah infuses his exclamation with just the right amount of incredulity.

“I know. She said one of the guys auditioning for the class used the freedom speech from _Braveheart_ as his monologue.”

“No,” Noah groans, laughing. “Did he get in?”

“Oh yeah,” Shailene says. “Apparently the teacher gave him a standing ovation.”

They get Noah talking about his Hamlet, which gets them on to Noah’s music, and he finds himself talking about the new album to a large group of people for the first time.

Talking about acting is easy, he’s been doing it for so long and it’s such a different art form from his music. When he’s acting, he’s telling other people’s stories. Even if he deeply relates to his character, even if he loves his lines, they’re someone else’s words he’s interpreting. His music is his. Letting other people listen to it is an act of extreme vulnerability. That makes it very rewarding, but it’s also terrifying. Talking about it is too, to some degree.

“I’ve been recording it slowly for the past year,” Noah says. Everyone at the table is tuned in now, plates cleared and fresh drinks sweating on coasters all around. “It should be out early next year.”

“And he’s going on tour,” Dan chimes in, pride evident in his voice.

“You are?” Stacey exclaims. “I didn’t know that!”

“Plans are still in the works,” Noah says. “But yeah. I’m going to do a few shows on each coast of the States.”

“That’s awesome,” Elena says. Noah can feel his face getting warm with all the attention.

“You better play here,” Stacey demands.

“Just for you,” Noah replies. He grins at her, and then shifts his grin to Dan, who ducks his head, lips pressed together to compress a smile.

They stay out late, drink too much, and spend a solid 20 minutes saying their goodbyes. Stacey gives Dan a lingering hug, whispering in his ear. Dan nods against her shoulder, eyes skipping to Noah and then away again.

Stacey grabs Noah next, squeezing him and pressing a sloppy kiss to his cheek. She doesn’t say anything, but gives him a speaking look when she pulls away.

Then she’s ducking into an Uber, yelling “love you” at them both as she closes the door.

“Did you have fun?” Dan asks as they amble across the street.

“Yeah,” Noah says, and he means it. Whatever his complicated feelings about the city and their current, precarious situation are, they didn’t distract from a night of good food and drinks and conversation. “They’re a fun bunch.”

“They are.”

The deeper into Dan’s neighborhood they get, the darker the night seems. The shadows between the streetlights provide enough cover for Dan to reach out and brush the backs of his fingers against Noah’s knuckles. Noah takes a deep breath of humid, jasmine-scented air.

They’re met at the door by an excited Redmond, who sniffs around their ankles asking for head scratches as they tipsily kick off their shoes. When he’s received them from both Dan and Noah, he runs off to the back door.

Noah sticks close to Dan as he takes care of Red and locks up, following him into the bedroom, leaving his side only to grab sleep clothes, and then resuming his position at the bathroom counter.

They jostle each other as they brush their teeth, unsteady on their feet and giggling every time one of them bumps the other.

“I knew I should have said no to that last negroni.” Dan splashes water on his face and then unscrews the lid on a tiny jar of eye cream.

Noah takes it out of his hands, struck by sudden impulse, and when Dan turns to look questioningly at him he nudges Dan’s hip to get him to turn. Dan gets the picture when Noah taps the surface of the cream with his right ring finger, picking up the tiniest bit of it. Noah still says, “Let me.”

When Dan has settled against the counter, Noah stands in the space between his bare feet and lifts his finger to Dan’s face. He wills his hand steady and gently dabs the cream under Dan’s eye. Dan blinks at first, then keeps his eyes wide and trained on Noah’s face.

“I have deja vu,” he says, when Noah lowers his hand to get another dab of cream for Dan’s other eye. His voice has a teasing lilt to it but his face is serious.

“That was Patrick and David,” Noah says.

“Same difference.”

Noah pauses in his application, fingertips just brushing Dan’s face. “Not really,” he says. He swipes his ring finger under Dan’s eye one more time, making sure the cream is absorbed. “I’ve had time to watch you and learn which is the correct finger to use, for one.” He closes the jar and puts it back in its place, leaning further into Dan as he does so. Dan’s arms wrap around his waist, slotting them securely together.

“I’ll give you that,” Dan says, mouth quirking into a smirk. Noah kisses it off his face.

They migrate their makeout from the bathroom - where it takes Dan three tries to actually slap the light switch off - to the bed. No one trips over anything en route, and everyone’s limbs land more or less on the bed. Their kisses are sloppy and unfocused, more about staying close than starting anything, and they slow down as Dan and Noah get themselves better situated.

Eventually they’re just breathing into each other’s mouths. Noah finds it harder and harder to open his eyes every time he blinks, and it looks like Dan is having the same difficulty.

Before he fully drifts off, Noah thinks to ask, “Did you have fun tonight?”

“‘Course. Was nice seeing you with my friends.”

“My friends, too.” Dan gives a sleepy hum, eyes fully shut now and not reopening. Noah tips his head back to bump the tip of his nose up into Dan’s. “Friends of my boyfriend are friends of mine.”

The last thing Noah sees before he slips off to sleep is the smile that steals over Dan’s mouth.


	3. Wednesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _i’m not gonna complicate  
>  just for the sake of the war in my mind  
> oh yeah but it’s hard to say  
> anything  
> though i feel more articulate now  
> than i did yesterday_  
> \- "Runaway," Noah Reid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I wrote this before Noah released "Honesty." <.<

There’s no alarm to wake them up in the morning, no Red scratching at the door. It’s Noah’s screaming bladder that finally wakes him. This is his fourth morning waking up at Dan’s, and two of them have featured hangovers. He hopes that percentage doesn’t carry through the rest of the week.

He goes through the same motions as he had on Monday: brushing his teeth, making coffee, feeding Redmond. It’s not as late as he’d slept after the Emmys, the sun still weak as it breaks up the morning layer of smog and clouds. He chooses the couch instead of the outside table, tucking himself into a throw blanket, Redmond’s head in his lap.

The next thing he knows is warm, wet pressure on his forehead. When he gets his eyes all the way open Dan’s face is right there, smiling.

“Morning,” he says, breath minty fresh as it wafts over Noah’s cheek. “Sorry to wake you, but you both look too cute to resist.”

“No problem. Good morning.” Noah’s coffee has gone cold, so he’s been back asleep for a while. He stretches his arms up over his head. “What time is it?”

“About 10 a.m.” Dan lifts a corner of the blanket and gets under it, snuggling up to Noah’s side. “Mind if I join you?”

“Not at all.” Noah lets his head fall back against the couch cushions as Dan nuzzles up to his neck.

“How hungover are you?” Dan asks, lips skimming Noah’s skin. Noah closes his eyes and takes stock. There’s a mild throb of pain in his forehead, and his stomach feels a little sour.

“Not bad, actually. You?”

Dan doesn’t answer for a minute, because he’s busy licking a path across Noah’s throat. One of his hands is sneaking under the waistband of Noah’s shorts, fingernails slowly scratching through the hair he finds there.

“Not bad, either,” he finally says, right up against Noah’s ear, which he then licks, tugging the lobe between his teeth.

“I could use coffee,” Noah says. Dan’s hand slips lower. “And food.”

“Uh huh. You know, orgasms are a tried and true hangover remedy.” Dan scrapes his teeth back down Noah’s neck right as his fingertips brush the base of Noah’s dick.

“You don’t think we’ve - _ah_ \- traumatized your couch enough?” Dan bites just above the collar of Noah’s t-shirt, lightly circling Noah’s dick with his fingers.

“That’s a good point.” Noah’s eyes fly open as Dan pulls himself away. He lets the blanket slither to the floor as he stands and stretches, leaving Noah hard and cold.

“Hey,” Noah whines. Dan picks up Noah’s mug from the table and turns to head into the kitchen.

“You need a warm-up,” Dan calls over his shoulder.

“Not the only thing I need,” Noah grumbles, but he pushes to his feet to follow.

It’s impossible not to drape himself over Dan’s back while he pours Noah’s cold coffee into the sink. He nestles his erection right into the crack of Dan’s ass, wrapping his arms around Dan’s chest. He digs his chin into Dan’s shoulder.

“You said you wanted coffee,” Dan says. His voice is so smug, and playful, and knowing. Noah pinches his nipple through his shirt. Dan gasps and laughs, bumping back against Noah. “I can’t reach the coffee pot from here, Noah.”

“I don’t particularly care, Daniel.”

Dan laughs again and starts to shuffle sideways along the counter, Noah clinging to him like a barnacle. Every step is delicious, the friction of Noah’s shorts against his cock as Dan’s ass flexes making Noah’s blood rush hot in his veins.

He doesn’t think he needs a warm-up anymore.

Reaching for the carafe pulls Dan’s shirt snug across his shoulders, and Noah dips his head to rub his mouth over it. It’s so soft, and skin-warm, covering the firm planes of Dan’s back. Noah bites a shoulder blade, slides up to Dan’s neck and licks over the bare skin there. Meanwhile, Dan blithely fills two mugs with coffee.

“I need to get the cream,” he says. He’s struggling to hold onto his nonchalance, the new gruffness in his voice belying his casual movements, making clear how much Noah’s ministrations are affecting him. Noah pinches his lips together, holding them against Dan’s collar. “Do not. I can hear the bad pun percolating in your head and it will kill the mood.”

“Oh, so there is a mood.” Noah flattens his hands on Dan’s belly and tugs him backward sharply.

“The mood is breakfast,” Dan says, haughty, trying to put space between them. His voice is still rough, and Noah can see the corner of his grin when he hooks his chin back over Dan’s shoulder.

“You’re an unbearable tease.”

“How dare you? I never tease about food.”

Dan manages to create enough space between them to spin around in Noah’s arms, mug held in front of him like a shield. He’s tenting his sleep pants, but apparently completely fine ignoring that fact in favor of driving Noah crazy.

“Drink your coffee,” Dan says.

“Thought you needed cream?”

Dan lifts an eyebrow and then his cup to his lips, taking a pointed sip. “Mmm.”

He hates black coffee. Noah knows he hates black coffee. Dan knows that Noah knows that he hates black coffee.

Noah takes the mug out of Dan’s hands, sets it back on the counter, and then licks the bitter taste right out of Dan’s mouth. Dan gives up the game pretty quickly then, arms around Noah’s shoulders and hips rolling forward. The kiss gets messy fast. Noah rucks up Dan’s shirt to his armpits and holds it there with one hand, his other slipping down over Dan’s abs to the waistband of his pants and then under.

Between Noah pushing and Dan wriggling, they manage to get Dan’s pants down around his thighs. Noah pushes his own down, and lines their dicks up together between their bellies.

They both break the kiss to groan, and then Dan slides two fingers into his own mouth. He sucks on them, locking his eyes onto Noah’s. Then he lets them slip out, tongue curling around the tips before he moves on to the next ones. Spit trickles from his lips down the backs of his knuckles, and Noah grinds against him, almost dizzy with lust from just that and the sight of Dan fucking his own mouth with his fingers.

He gives one long, slow lick to his palm and Noah nods, trying to calm his breathing. “That’s it,” he says, voice snagging in his dry throat. “Get it wet.”

When Dan is satisfied with how wet he’s gotten his hand, he lowers it to wrap around their cocks. The noise Noah hears himself make would be embarrassing if Dan didn’t make an almost identical one. Warmth pools low in Noah’s belly as he watches Dan stroke them together, his elegant fingers with their neat nails and cuticles, messy with saliva and precome. Dan watches too, forehead against Noah’s, and then nudges him upwards until Noah tilts into a kiss.

The pressure of Dan’s hand is just right, and he’s licking into Noah’s mouth the same way he just wet his fingers, thoroughly and filthily. Noah gets his hands into the front of Dan’s pants, palms curving around his thighs, and hangs on for the ride.

Dan doesn’t ease up the kiss until Noah is coming, holding Noah in place with a hand around the back of his neck. Noah whimpers around Dan’s tongue, shuddering over and over as he makes an even bigger mess of Dan’s fingers and their lined up cocks. When it gets to be too much, he digs his nails into Dan’s thighs, and Dan pulls back with a gasp.

“Come on,” Noah says. If he’d thought his voice was rough earlier, it’s barely recognizable now. “Come for me, baby.”

Dan does, head falling forward. Noah watches Dan watch himself come, long pulses that drip over his fingers. He strokes a few more times, both of them shivering with oversensitivity.

Noah uses his own shirt for the cleanup, taking Dan’s hand and wiping it clean before lifting it to kiss each knuckle. Dan gives a breathy laugh, pulling his pants back up and setting Noah’s right as well.

“Will we have one naked orgasm this week?” Dan asks, plucking at a wet patch on the hem of his shirt. Noah laughs.

“We did!”

“The shower doesn’t count.”

“That makes no sense,” Noah says, shaking his head fondly. “Now. Coffee. And food.”

Noah cooks again, and they eat on the couch, the blanket spread out across their laps acting as a tablecloth. Finally getting coffee into his system makes what remains of Noah’s headache fully dissipate, and after he’s full he slumps back into the cushions.

The doors leading onto the deck are open, and a warm breeze blows in, bringing in the scent of eucalyptus. Dan scrolls through his phone with his left hand, a half-eaten piece of toast in his right. Every now and then he uses the back of his right hand to nudge his glasses back up his nose. He looks so cute, hyper-focused on whatever he’s reading, hair and t-shirt rumpled, it makes something achy swell in Noah’s chest.

Noah gets up and gathers the empty plates, getting a distracted smile from Dan, and loads them into the dishwasher.

Then he goes to get his notebook.

He grabs his phone and earbuds, too. In lieu of a real guitar or piano, he’s found a couple of apps he can use to at least tap out basic melodies while he’s writing songs.

Settling back onto the couch, Noah smoothes open his notebook on one knee. Dan’s still on his phone, typing now. Dan had bought Noah this notebook, a year or so ago when the one he’d been using started to fall apart. He’d always grabbed cheap, spiral-bound notebooks, or compact composition books, with cardboard covers that crumpled in his pockets. This one is leather-bound, dark blue with a grey ribbon to mark his place and thick, unlined pages. At first, Noah had been too intimidated by the quality to use it for his scribbles, but after a couple of weeks of carrying it, he’d been struck by some ideas and had nowhere else to put them. Those ideas, jotted down in the first couple pages of this notebook, turned into his favorite song on the new album.

A lot of his new album was written in this notebook. And some songs that have yet to see the light of day. Songs that Noah isn’t ready to finish yet.

He gets caught up in the rhythm of jotting down a word or two, playing a few chords on his phone, drawing out guitar tabs. A page fills up with notes, what he thinks will be the chorus of a song, two completed lines of lyrics. He plays through it again, listening to the melody, scribbles “accordion?” on one edge of the page, stares into space as he plays the file again.

As it ends, his eyes come into focus right on Dan’s face. He’s turned towards Noah, phone on the coffee table, and he’s smiling. Noah tugs his earbuds out.

“What?”

“You were humming,” Dan says.

“Oh.” Noah feels his face heat. He never notices when he’s doing that. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be. It sounded great. New song?” Noah nods. “About me?”

Dan’s teasing, but he’s hit the mark, and he can tell right away. His smile gets smaller, more real, and his eyes go soft.

There are several songs about Dan in Noah’s notebook. One even made it onto the new album, though that one is vague enough that no one will know unless they know. But Dan’s never caught Noah in the act of writing one.

“I’m honored.” Dan curves his fingers over Noah’s shoulder and squeezes. They sit in the moment for a beat, Dan smiling and sweeping his thumb over Noah’s collarbone, Noah blushing furiously.

He clears his throat. “Are you done working?”

Dan wrinkles his nose. “For now. I have that dinner meeting thing tonight still.”

“Right.” Noah had forgotten. He really wishes he’d brought his guitar.

“But before then, I was thinking, would you want to go for a hike?”

That’s an easy yes for Noah, and something he had packed for. They wash up and change clothes, get Redmond into his harness, and climb into Dan’s car. After a quick stop for snacks, they’re on the road. Not that they have to go far, most of Dan’s favorite hiking spots are in the city or just outside. Of course it’s LA, so it still takes almost half an hour to get there.

The sun is high and bright, and Noah’s shirt is sticking to his back before they’ve gone very far. But it feels so good to stretch his legs, to breathe in air that smells like live plants and dirt. It’s also quite nice to watch Dan’s calf muscles flex as he leads Noah along the trails. Last time they’d hiked together Dan had been covered from toes to wrists. They’d also been surrounded by people and cameras, so Noah had had to keep his appreciation to a minimum. At least until David and Patrick stopped bickering, and then he could do some in-character appreciation.

Now, with the trail to themselves, Noah can ogle all he wants.

They climb steadily upwards, Redmond in front of them, sniffing his way through the park like he knows exactly where he’s going. Which he might, because Dan takes him hiking fairly regularly. Either way, Dan clearly trusts his nose, because he doesn’t course-correct him at all, and eventually they emerge from a copse of trees to crest a hill.

The view is incredible from the top. There are a couple of other people there, taking photos. Noah palms his phone out of his pocket and takes a few of his own. As soon as the other people move on he reaches out to cup Dan’s neck, bringing him close.

“Noah,” Dan says, eyes darting around. When he realizes they’re alone, he ducks in for a swift kiss. Noah snaps a photo. They’re off-center and a little blurry, but Noah doesn’t delete it. Dan rolls his eyes but the way he smiles down at the photo gives him away.

There’s a bench, so they sit and divest Noah’s backpack of their snacks. Redmond alternates between sitting and basking in the sun, doing his lowkey begging routine, and making friends with everyone who comes up the hill and walks by. Another dog meanders past, and Redmond jumps up, eager to greet it, tugging his leash and the wrist it’s looped around, making Dan almost spill the water he’d been holding up to his mouth.

“Here,” Noah says, holding out his hand. “I’ll take him over to say hi.”

Dan hands off the leash and Noah follows Redmond over to the other dog, a smallish terrier who is wiggling with excitement. The woman walking him gives Noah a friendly smile, and they make dog-related small talk while Redmond and Sam circle each other. After she leads Sam away, Noah crouches down to give Redmond a consolatory ear rub.

When Noah stands to bring Redmond back over to Dan, Dan has his phone out and a sweet smile on his face. Noah sits down next to him and sneaks a peek at the screen. Dan pushes their shoulders together and tilts the phone so Noah can see better. It’s a text message exchange with Stacey, an outgoing photo from Dan that he took of Noah and Red, the city sprawled out behind them. Stacey has already sent back a string of heart-eyes emojis, and the little dots are dancing to show she’s typing another response.

When it comes in, it makes both Dan and Noah laugh.

_Such wholesome content for sex week._

Dan brings his phone back into his lap so he can type back, and Noah slouches on the bench to enjoy the view for a while until they have to get up and head home.

They’re both sweaty and dusty by the time they get back to the car, and the air conditioning feels amazing on Noah’s overheated skin.

“I need a shower,” he says, plucking his shirt away from his chest.

“Me too.”

“Hm, maybe you’ll get a naked orgasm.” Noah reaches over to trail his fingertips up the inseam of Dan’s shorts.

“I told you this morning, the shower doesn’t count.”

“Oh, so you don’t want me to shower with you and jerk you off then?”

“God.” Dan’s thigh tenses under Noah’s hand. “Please don’t say things like that with my son in the car.”

Noah throws back his head and laughs.

Dan doesn’t protest when Noah follows him into the shower, but he does knock Noah’s hand away when he reaches out for Dan’s hardening dick.

“Turn around,” he says, and Noah spins so fast he almost slips and falls.

It’s a reversal of their Monday morning shower, which feels like it happened a million years ago already. Dan washes Noah’s back, then lower, letting his fingers slip between Noah’s ass cheeks. Noah props a forearm against the wall and presses his clenched teeth to it, but as soon as Dan’s fingers are right there they’re gone again. They smooth down the backs of Noah’s thighs, into the dips behind his knees, over the curves of his calves as Dan kneels on the shower floor.

He curls a hand around one of Noah’s ankles and tugs until Noah balances and lifts his foot. Dan washes it thoroughly, thumb rubbing hard in the arch until Noah groans against his arm, then pushing his fingers between the toes. He repeats on the other foot, and Noah’s whole body feels it. The care—the love—that Dan shows with his hands is overwhelming. It envelops Noah like the steam filling the shower.

The hush and closeness of the water falling around them and Dan’s careful washing are so powerfully intimate, tears clog Noah’s throat. He’s not in danger of actually crying, but his eyes are stinging, and if he had to try to talk right now he doubts he could. Dan is working up Noah’s shins, over the bumps of his knees to massage his fingers into Noah’s thighs. Then he stands, and takes hold of Noah’s hips to turn him away from the wall.

Noah has no idea what his face looks like, but even if it wasn’t a wreck the emotion in the air is palpable. Dan cups his cheek, slides his fingers back to rest just behind Noah’s ear, and kisses him slowly but firmly.

“Can I keep going?” He asks when he pulls away. Noah nods against Dan’s hand. Dan thumbs his cheekbone, his bottom lip, and then reaches for the soap again.

Starting at Noah’s hips he washes up over Noah’s stomach and chest, hands moving in methodical circles. Noah is hard, but the pleasure he feels is so deep and all-encompassing that he’s not thinking about coming at all. Dan squeezes his fingers all the way down Noah’s biceps and forearms, and shows the same attention to Noah’s hands that he had to Noah’s feet, massaging the palms and rubbing the places where Noah is callused from the guitar. When the suds are rinsed away Dan lifts one of Noah’s hands and kisses the palm, then gets back down on his knees.

He didn’t wash Noah’s cock or anywhere near it, and when he first touches his mouth to it, lips and tongue just skimming up the underside, he closes his eyes like he’s really savouring it. Noah goes from “not thinking about coming” to “desperate to come” in about five seconds flat. It’s like Dan’s mouth is gathering all the pleasure his hands have just spread all over Noah’s body and sucking it into one hot coil right at Noah’s center.

The water, still surprisingly warm after so long, is flattening Dan’s hair to his head and dripping off the end of his nose. Noah pushes it back, holding it loosely and trying to keep the worst of the spray off of Dan’s face so he can breathe. Dan looks up at Noah, and it’s devastating, the heat of his eyes and the way his cheeks hollow as he slowly slides his mouth down.

And down. His lips stretch and he sucks in air through his nose. Noah is not small, he’s actually quite large, something that Dan has always delighted in. The first time he went down on Noah had been a revelation, the determination Dan had shown, and the feeling of his throat opening and fluttering around the head of Noah’s dick is something permanently etched in Noah’s memory. His eyes had watered profusely, and Noah had swept the moisture away with his thumbs.

He can’t distinguish between tears and shower water now, so he has no idea if Dan is feeling the effects of deep throating Noah the same way he had then. Noah definitely is; barely one full stroke of Dan’s hot, slick mouth and he’s going to come. He tugs Dan’s hair in warning, the heat in his belly going molten when Dan slides down again, then sucks sharply as he draws back, and Noah whites out as his orgasm hits him like a truck.

Finally finding his voice, he groans Dan’s name long and low as he pulses into Dan’s mouth. Dan swallows, licks across the tip of Noah’s cock and then drops his chin to his chest. Noah can see his arm working, hand between his legs, and hears his gasped “fuck” before his shoulders shake as he comes on the shower floor.

“Get up here, get up,” Noah says. Even wrung-out and post-orgasmic he worries for Dan’s knees. “You good?”

Dan just hums in satisfaction, though he does wince slightly as he straightens. “I might be sorry tomorrow, but that will get me through this dinner meeting for sure.”

Noah pulls him in for a kiss, and then they finish washing up so they can get out before the water gets cold.

Dan stays in the bathroom to start getting ready, and Noah sprawls naked on top of the bed to air dry and checks his email. He needs to prioritize some work stuff for when Dan is at dinner. He might not be able to make phone calls since it’s already after office hours in Toronto, but he can send emails and text messages and get—or start—some balls rolling.

Dance-y pop emanates from the bathroom, a getting ready playlist Noah recognizes from early mornings in hair and makeup. It’s helping keep Noah awake; he’s so relaxed and worn out from their hike and the blowjob, and the bed is so comfortable. He manages not to drift off, but he still has to double-check the email he’s about to send to make sure it makes sense.

“That’s just unfair,” Dan says some time later, standing in the doorway. Noah is on his back, tapping out a text to his sister. He’s still naked, ankles crossed, and he lowers his phone to look up at Dan.

Who is fully styled and dressed, and takes Noah’s breath away.

“Could say the same to you.”

His phone slides off his chest, forgotten as Dan sits on the mattress next to Noah’s hip. Noah reaches up as Dan leans down, and gathers him in for a kiss. They keep it light, Noah doesn’t want to mess Dan up. Or rather, he does but he won’t.

“You smell good.” Dan noses along Noah’s cheek to his hairline.

“I smell like you.”

Dan leans back, and his arched eyebrow says “exactly.” Noah laughs.

“You’re going to get all wrinkled.”

“I’ll get wrinkled in the car anyway.”

“Are you driving?”

“No, they’re sending a car. Which will be here any minute.” He grimaces nervously.

“That’s nice of them.” Noah sits up a little, getting an elbow under himself and reaching out to feel the neat edge of Dan’s trimmed stubble. “You’re gonna be great.”

“Yeah, yeah.” His phone buzzes and he answers it, eyes wide on Noah’s face. It’s the driver out front. As soon as Dan hangs up, Noah pulls him in for another kiss.

“You’re going to be great,” he repeats.

“Wish me luck anyway?”

“What do you think the kiss was for?” Dan shakes his head, not in the mood for teasing. “Good luck.”

After the front door closes, Noah hears the click of Redmond’s nails on the floor, and then he’s next to the bed, looking hopefully up at Noah.

“Right,” Noah says. “We need dinner, too. Unless you have a fancy meeting to go to?” Redmond just stares, and Noah rolls off the bed and gets to his feet. “Let me get some clothes on and then we’ll get food.”

There are a few leftovers still in the fridge, so after Redmond has his dinner, Noah fixes his own. He sits at the table out on the deck and opens his email.

Jamie from Baseline has sent him a list of possible tour dates, and those probably need to be finalized soon, so he opens the message and reads it through. Seeing the list of cities laid out sends a zip of nerves and excitement up his spine. Going on tour is something he’s been dreaming about since he first performed music. He hadn’t been able to realistically fathom it with his first album, but now, with a fanbase and his listener numbers rising, and some free time, now it’s reality.

To say he’s looking forward to it would be an understatement.

It takes a few shuffles of dates and cities, writing them out in his notebook, looking at a map, checking the calendar, before he has a list he likes the order of. He types it out for Jamie and reads it through again.

His eyes snag on Los Angeles, and the note he’s added. “I’d love to have the 15th of February, with a day off before, if I can.” He hasn’t discussed it with Dan, but he’s hoping … well, worst case he can spend the day with the band and it will be perfectly fine. He presses send and moves on to the next item on his list.

Eventually the only thing left to do is pick his songs for his quick set with Harrow Fair. He’s been putting it off because it makes him think about the end of the week, and leaving Los Angeles. Leaving Dan. It makes him think about everything they haven’t said yet.

He goes back to bed. Not to sleep, but to plug in his phone and make himself comfortable, and to surround himself with the smell of Dan, the smell of _them_.

As he’s fumbling around on the nightstand, trying to locate the end of the cord for his phone charger, he tips over a small bowl with loose change, a pair of cufflinks, and some other odds and ends in it. A circle of gold rolls out and settles with a clink against Noah’s pinky.

It’s one of the engagement rings. David’s engagement rings. The other three are in the bowl, too. Dan must have dropped them in there after he wore them to the Emmys, something Noah still can’t quite believe he did. Noah holds them in his palm while he tosses the rest of the items back into the bowl, then lays back to look at them, phone charger forgotten.

They’re tarnished inside, because they are not actually 24 karat, and adjusted to all different sizes for optimal mixing and matching. When Noah had asked Dan at the pre-party why he was wearing them, Dan had blushed and ducked his head and shrugged. “They’re like security blankets, I guess,” he’d said, and then distracted Noah with more champagne.

Noah slips one ring onto his index finger. It’s cool and solid, sitting snug against his knuckle. He arranges the rest in a similar configuration to the way David wears them. And Dan. When he wiggles his fingers they clack together. He feels immediately silly, like he’s playing dress-up, and starts to take them off.

He removes the one on his index finger, and the top one on his middle finger, and then stops. He rubs his thumb over the one on his pinky. The full set had been weird, but just two is nice. They do make him feel oddly safe. Comfortable.

He keeps them on.

His phone lights up with a text and he remembers why he’d come in here in the first place. As soon as he finds the cord and plugs it into his phone he unlocks the screen.

_Going to be later than I thought. :(_

_Going well then?_

He gets back three shrug emojis. Noah isn’t as fluent in emoji as Dan is, but those are pretty self-explanatory.

_Doubt they’d be prolonging it if was going badly._

_I guess._

_Are you hiding in the bathroom right now like you’re on a bad date?_

The response to that is a photo of Dan in a very fancy bathroom mirror. His hair looks just a little less perfect than it had when he left the house. But he still looks beautiful, even frowning at his reflection the way he is.

_God you’re hot._

_Stop._

_Seriously. Might jerk off to this later._

_UGH. Do not sext me at a business meeting._

Noah laughs and takes a photo of Redmond, curled up sweetly on Dan’s side of the bed, and sends it off.

_Better._

_Get back out there._

The dots dance and disappear, dance and disappear, and then finally a kiss emoji pops up, and Noah closes out of his messages and opens his music. He has a playlist of songs he likes or wants to cover, so presses play on it and lays back on the pillows to listen.

He doesn’t plan to fall asleep, but he does, somewhere between “I’ll Keep It With Mine” and “Love In Mind,” and wakes up to the mattress dipping. The room is silent and dark, and Noah rolls over to drape himself over Dan before Dan is even all the way under the covers.

“Time’s it?” Noah asks, riding out the waves of Dan’s body shifting and settling until he can properly rest his head on Dan’s shoulder.

“It’s super late. I take it you didn’t get my texts?”

“Fell asleep.”

“I figured. I’m sorry I woke you up.”

“No, no.” Noah gropes around clumsily until he finds Dan’s hand and laces their fingers together. “I wanted to be up. Wanted to hear how things went.”

Dan doesn’t say anything, and Noah’s heart rate kicks up. He’s suddenly fully awake. He leans up and tries to meet the shine of Dan’s eyes as they reflect the dim city light coming in the windows.

“What happened?”

“What? Oh, no.” There’s a rustle as Dan shakes his head on the pillow. “No. It was fine. I just.” He lifts their joined hands. Noah’s fingers catch the same light that’s in Dan’s eyes. “Are you wearing the rings?”

Now Noah’s heart kicks in embarrassment. “I—only two?” Dan doesn’t respond again and Noah rushes to fill the silence. “I’ll take them off and put them back, I was just kind of trying them on because I was feeling a little bummed, and you had said that thing about the security blanket and I thought—”

“Noah,” Dan interrupts, and then kisses right where the bands cover Noah’s skin. Noah holds in all the rest of his words and waits Dan out.

“Do you know why I only wore two rings to the party?”

Noah had wondered about that. He had assumed it was just an aesthetic choice, but. “No.”

“I was …” Dan trails off, and then kisses Noah’s knuckles again. He clears his throat. “I was going to ask if you wanted the other two. As keepsakes. Or souvenirs. Or … I guess as your own security blanket. If you needed it.”

It’s Noah’s turn to not have a response, and Dan’s turn to rush to fill the silence.

“David and Patrick’s relationship was important to you, too, and I don’t know, it felt sort of symbolic, and like—not like a promise ring because we’re not children, but—”

The only thing Noah can think of to do is kiss him, finding his mouth in the shadows and sealing his own over it. He presses in firmly, and then pulls back to tilt their foreheads together.

“That’s really sweet,” Noah says, because he doesn’t know what else to say. He knows this is part of the larger conversation they’re avoiding, but knowing Dan wanted to give away half of such a meaningful item goes a long way towards soothing any nerves Noah might be feeling about that conversation.

“Well. That was not what I was expecting to come home to.” Dan tugs Noah’s hand until Noah is draped over him again, but doesn’t let go.

“Did you think I’d be jerking off to your bathroom selfie?”

The laugh that bursts out of Dan is everything Noah had hoped it would be. He nuzzles his face into Dan’s neck, kissing that perfect spot below Dan’s ear, under his jaw.

“I do want to hear how tonight went,” Noah mumbles, lulled back into sleepiness by the rhythm of Dan’s thumb over his knuckles and the warmth of Dan’s body.

“In the morning,” Dan says. “Go back to sleep.”


	4. Thursday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _It’s hard to cool down when your body just generates heat  
>  It’s hard to write songs when you feel like you can’t even speak  
> But it ain’t hard to tell you you’re the only thing I need_  
> \- “Hold On,” Noah Reid

It’s completely unsurprising that Noah wakes up before Dan; when he carries his phone out into the living room to check his messages, he sees the timestamp on Dan’s “Getting in the car now.” is 1:37 a.m. He figures he has a couple of hours before Dan stumbles out of the bedroom.

Noah indulges in his new favorite morning routine: feeding Redmond, making coffee, and heading out into the yard. He takes his notebook and his phone with him, too. He wants to call around and make sure everything is set for his Great Hall shows in November, because he needs his friends on stage with him playing the songs they helped him record.

After speaking with everyone, and soaking up their reassurances like he’s soaking up the LA sun, he throws a stick for Redmond, who fetches a few times before flopping down in the shade, then goes to get another cup of coffee.

By the time he finishes that, it’s nearing 10 a.m., and Noah figures Dan will be awake soon. He makes Dan a cup of coffee and carries it into the bedroom just in time to see Dan reaching out for his phone on the bedside table. Noah intercepts his hand with the handle of the mug, and one of Dan’s eyes peeks open.

“This isn’t my phone,” he says. His voice is sleep-rough, and his bedhead is just as manic as Noah had hoped.

“Can’t slip anything past you,” Noah says.

The mug is settled on the table while Dan untangles himself from the bedclothes and sits up against the headboard. Then he reclaims it and takes an experimental sip of the coffee inside. His eyes close briefly before he takes another, longer sip.

“This is perfect, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Noah carefully kneels on the mattress, slowly straddling Dan’s legs and crawling into his lap. Dan keeps his coffee balanced, mug shielding his smirk. Noah loops his arms around Dan’s neck, one hand holding his other wrist. “Sleep well?”

“I did.”

“Hungover?”

“No, I didn’t drink much.”

“And?” Noah prompts. Dan presses his lips to the rim of his mug. Noah squeezes his thighs on either side of Dan’s hips.

“It went really well. I think. The network people seem like they trust me, which is the same impression I got when I signed the contract, you just never know what will happen after they have you. But I reiterated my intentions to tell the same kinds of stories I’ve been telling, and they’re all for it.”

“That’s great,” Noah says. He gives Dan’s neck a little jostle with his arms.

“They brought along some people for me to meet. Writers. And,” Dan takes another drink of his coffee and then takes a deep breath. “And I think I really liked one of them?”

Everything coming out of Dan’s mouth is positive, but he suddenly looks on the verge of tears.

“Oh, honey.” Noah takes the mug out of Dan’s hands and puts it on the table, then gathers him to his chest. “You know that’s a good thing, right?”

“I do. I swear I do.” Dan lays his head on Noah’s shoulder, face tucked into the crook of his neck. Noah can feel Dan’s lips brush his skin as he speaks. “She and I went out for drinks after dinner, after everyone else left, and talked over a ton of ideas. She’s really funny, and she gets me, and it’s just.” He sniffs and Noah holds him tighter.

“It’s really happening,” Noah says after a moment. He presses his cheek to Dan’s hair. He’s so, so happy for Dan, but he can totally understand the melancholy. He’s feeling it himself, a tight lump in his chest. Dan’s hands steal under Noah’s shirt, fingers curling and knuckles digging into his skin.

Noah thinks of the rings, the two in the bowl on the table and the two Noah tucked into his toiletry bag that morning. He slides a hand to the back of Dan’s neck, urging him to lift his face and look at Noah.

“I’m really proud of you,” he starts. His skin zips with nerves. “And I’m here for you. Figuratively and literally. You know?” Dan nods. “I’m sorry I fell asleep last night before I could tell you that. And before I could say thank you.”

“For what?”

“The rings.” Dan sucks in a breath. Noah feels hot all over, and the lump in his chest is trying to rise up and clog his throat. “That you’d want me to have them, to have two of them, means a lot to me. And not just because of Patrick and David, and what they meant to me. But because of what you mean to me. What ‘us’ means to me.”

Dan’s chin wobbles alarmingly, and then he puffs out his cheeks and blows out a breath. “You’re welcome.”

They both lean in, mouths meeting for a soft, sweet kiss. It doesn’t dissolve the lump of emotion in Noah’s chest, but it pushes it back down. Dan tips their foreheads together.

“Sorry for getting all worked up.”

“Dan, you don’t have to apologize for your emotions. They’re totally valid and justified.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Happy to help.” Noah goes in for another kiss, lets this one get a little dirtier, pulls back just enough to murmur against Dan’s mouth. “Or to distract, if you’d like.”

“I’d like very much,” Dan murmurs back, sliding his hands further up Noah’s back, taking Noah’s shirt with him.

Their next kiss is long and searching; Noah sweeps his tongue into Dan’s mouth and presses closer, tilts his head and gets a handful of Dan’s hair so he can angle Dan’s head the way he wants. Dan lets him control the kiss for a bit, holding on to Noah’s shoulders from behind, before tugging Noah back and taking over.

Noah ends up on his back, too busy being very thoroughly kissed to take note of how exactly he gets there. His shirt, and Dan’s, have also somehow disappeared. Dan lays himself fully atop of Noah and the feeling of their bare skin brushing, Dan’s body just that little bit bigger and heavier, covering Noah completely, is so delicious that Noah groans deep in his chest. Dan seems intent to keep their mouths fused together, and Noah is totally onboard with this plan.

There’s barely any room between any part of them, and Dan is still warm from the bed. The bed is still warm from Dan, and pressed between them Noah feels cocooned in the warmth. Sweat starts to gather under his arms, behind his knees, in the small of his back. It adds a bit of friction when Dan skims his hands over Noah’s sides, up his ribs to where Noah’s arms are lifted around Dan’s shoulders. 

It would be so easy to keep kissing and rolling their hips together, but Noah remembers Dan’s joking gripes about naked orgasms, so he tries to put a little space between them so he can shimmy out of his shorts. Dan picks up on what he’s doing and breaks their kiss so he can do the same.

Then they’re all bare, damp skin. Dan seems to revel in it, sliding his leg along Noah’s, getting his thigh in between Noah’s thighs, hands skipping over his stomach and arms and hips before finally settling. It does feel amazing. Noah spreads his fingers against Dan’s shoulder blades, and runs his foot up the back of Dan’s calf. They keep kissing but so much of their focus is on touching each other in other ways.

Noah breaks away to breathe, and to get to his favorite spot on Dan’s neck. “Hey,” he says as he kisses his way there. “We’re naked.”

“Thank god,” Dan says, tilting his head to give Noah more room.

“Anything else you want?”

“Not yet,” Dan says. He holds on to the back of Noah’s neck, keeping him close.

The few times in the past that Dan has gotten in his head and needed to be drawn out with physical touch, it had been obvious to see exactly what Dan wanted. Sometimes it was ceding control, sometimes it was the opposite; sometimes he needed playful, sometimes he needed serious. Right now, with Dan shifting restlessly over Noah, hands roving, Noah can read the uncertainty in his body.

The only obvious thing he wants is Noah underneath him—the one time Noah tries to roll them he’s met with immediate resistance—and to stay as close as possible. It’s not exactly difficult for Noah to give those things to Dan, he’s enjoying being pressed into the mattress, the focus of all of Dan’s attention. The rest of it is up to Noah to guess.

So he goes with his gut.

As he’s gently sucking the thin skin below Dan’s jaw, not enough to leave a lasting mark but enough to make Dan’s breathing go ragged, he gets his arms under Dan’s, splaying his hands in the small of Dan’s back. He applies a little pressure, guiding Dan over until their hips are aligned and Dan is lying between Noah’s legs. Then Noah can bend his knees, get his feet planted on the bed, and shift his shoulders so his head is below Dan’s. Dan has to prop his elbows on the pillow, and when he looks down at Noah, his eyes dark and hungry, everything clicks.

Their next kiss is so scorching hot it makes Noah’s toes curl in the sheets. Dan’s hands are on either side of Noah’s neck, thumbs against Noah’s jaw so he can guide him as Dan licks into his mouth.

Noah lets his thighs fall open a little further, tilting his hips up slightly, telegraphing the rest of what Noah wants. Dan takes one hand off of Noah’s face, skates it down his chest and belly, over his thigh and then under it. He grips around the back of it and pulls it outwards, then dips his fingers down to brush against Noah’s ass.

Just that brief touch makes Noah squirm, anticipation zipping through him. Dan rubs one dry fingertip over Noah’s hole, thrusting his tongue into Noah’s mouth, then breaks the kiss to nose along his cheek.

“Where’s the lube?” he asks, directly into Noah’s ear. He nips the lobe and then licks over it, and Noah shakes his head.

“Why should I know?”

“You put it away last time,” Dan says, mouth now sliding down Noah’s neck to his shoulder. 

They haven’t used it at all since Noah got here, so Noah has no idea what Dan is talking about. Then he remembers the last time, the weekend of the MTV Awards, when he’d opened Dan up with three fingers and then pounded him into the mattress. That was a month ago.

Exclusivity is something else they haven’t explicitly discussed, but Noah hasn’t so much as kissed anyone else since he and Dan started up together. He doesn’t think Dan has either. Not that the lube still being where he put it last month really means anything, but it warms Noah through nonetheless. It also makes him extra determined to make this really, really good for Dan.

“Should be in the drawer,” Noah says.

“My side or your side?” Dan lifts his head to look back and forth, completely oblivious to the fact that he just sucker-punched Noah with that question.

Noah breathes through the emotion burning the back of his throat and says, “Mine.”

Dan leans up over him to reach for it, basically presenting his chest for Noah’s mouth, and Noah takes full advantage. He composes himself as he licks across Dan’s nipple, nosing into his armpit and back up to his shoulder to his neck as he comes back to settle against Noah, lube in hand.

Now that he has what he needs, he’s a man on a mission, and the mission is evidently destroying Noah. He launches a full-on assault with his mouth, while he slicks one finger and presses it slowly into Noah. It’s been a little while, so the stretch burns, but Dan’s tongue on Noah’s nipple is enough to distract him until the burn fades and the stretch starts to feel good.

Really good. “Fuck,” Noah says, as Dan works his finger in and out in long, dragging strokes. Noah gets two fistfuls of Dan’s hair and holds Dan’s face to his chest, then tugs upwards until Dan lifts his head to give Noah the kiss he’s looking for.

Dan knows exactly how to move his fingers, two now, to make Noah a shivering, panting wreck. He curls them, scissors them, twists them, all the while kissing Noah slow and deep. Noah keeps his hands in Dan’s hair, the grip grounding him as Dan works him up.

He was ready for Dan’s cock after one finger, damn the burn, but Dan has other plans, and even half out of his mind with pleasure Noah remembers that he’s letting Dan run the show, so he doesn’t protest when Dan adds a third. Not that he really would, because it feels incredible, the pressure building inside him until he feels like he’s going to burst.

Loathe to break their kiss even to ask Dan to please put his dick inside Noah right the fuck now, Noah uses his heel to nudge the back of Dan’s thigh, hoping he’ll get the hint. Dan gives him a particularly good thrust with his fingers, which means Dan got it and is choosing to ignore it.

Dan ends up being the one to pull away, leaving Noah whimpering. “Are you ready?”

Noah nods quickly.

“Are you sure?” He presses his fingers deep, the bent knuckle of his pinky pressing up against Noah’s rim.

“Ah, yes,” Noah pants. “Please.”

Rolling on the condom requires Dan sitting up, which means Noah has to let go of his hair. He lets his hands fall, one to Dan’s forearm to feel the muscles flex as he opens the wrapper to get the condom on. The other goes to his own dick, which is dripping against his stomach. He touches the wet, rubs some between his fingers and reaches to spread it over the head. And then Dan knocks his hand away.

“Dan,” Noah whines.

“Nope. That’s mine.”

In retaliation, Noah sucks his sticky fingers into his mouth, moaning showily around them. It’s an obvious ploy, but it works, Dan’s eyes riveted to Noah’s tongue as it peeks out between his knuckles. Dan leans down to kiss the corner of Noah’s mouth he can reach, and presses the head of his cock to Noah’s hole.

Even with thorough prep, the first push inside makes Noah suck in a sharp breath and he lets his fingers slip from his mouth. Dan gives him a moment to adjust, then goes a little further. He curls his arms under Noah’s back, cupping his shoulders, and kisses him through the brief, initial moments of discomfort. They’re so worth it for the way he feels when Dan is all the way inside him, holding so still he’s shaking from the effort, mouth distracted and mobile against Noah’s.

When Noah’s ready he shifts his own hips, pressing a hand into the small of Dan’s back. Dan starts to move immediately, drawing out slowly and then pushing back in. Each time Noah is almost overwhelmed by the feeling of fullness, of having Dan inside him, over him, all around him. It’s all he can do to hold on—hands on Dan’s back, feet tucked behind Dan’s thighs—and moan into Dan’s mouth.

They stay close, Dan grinding in with long, slow rolls of his hips, kissing when they can, breathing into each other’s necks when they can’t. Pleasure ripples out to Noah’s toes, his fingertips, all the way up his spine, until he’s tingling all over.

“Daniel,” Noah says, quiet but urgent, as he feels his orgasm building. Dan lifts his face from Noah’s shoulder and meets his eyes.

Dan’s face is always a lot. It’s beautiful, of course, but more than that it’s expressive. The shape of his mouth is constantly changing, and it’s almost impossible for him to hide what he’s thinking or feeling.

Right now, with his eyes wide and dark, his mouth red and swollen, his expression is enough to make Noah cry. Or come. Or both.

Dan seems to understand that Noah doesn’t have anything else to say. He doesn’t break eye contact or separate their bodies even a centimeter, but he changes the angle of his thrusts just enough to make it suddenly, absolutely imperative for Noah to come. He arches his back, trying to get more friction on his cock, trapped between them.

As he’s opening his mouth to ask, to beg if he has to, Dan is already working a hand between their stomachs. He can’t really stroke, but just having his fingers there, thumb brushing over the head of Noah’s dick, is enough.

With one of his last shreds of coherent thought, Noah decides he wants Dan to come first, so he gets a handful of Dan’s hair and drags him down to whisper in his ear. “Are you close?” Dan nods into his neck. “I want you to come.” Request made, he latches his mouth to his spot there under Dan’s ear, and Dan shudders against him.

As soon as Dan starts to come, thrusts going hectic and erratic, Noah pulls his head up so he can kiss him. At the first uncoordinated sweep of Dan’s tongue into Noah’s mouth, he’s done.

It’s like wildfire, the way his orgasm sweeps through him, burning him up from the inside out. His limbs lock around Dan’s body, and he’s not sure if he manages to properly break their kiss or if Dan does, but when he’s able to control his muscles again he still has a fist clenched in Dan’s hair, keeping their faces close. Noah relaxes his fingers and massages Dan’s scalp. Dan’s eyes slip closed, and his head droops down. Noah leans up so he can get another kiss.

This one is gentle, Noah catching the plushness of Dan’s lower lip between his own and pressing, then moving on to the precisely shaped bow of his upper lip. When he pulls back, there’s wetness in the corner of Dan’s eyes and he can feel his own stinging.

“I have to.” Dan reaches down to hold the condom as he starts to pull out. Noah’s hands don’t want to let him go. “I’ll come right back.”

He does, getting rid of the condom and cleaning them up as quickly as he can and then crawling right back over Noah.

“Better?” Noah asks when Dan is tucked up against him. He rubs his hands over Dan’s back, skin still damp with sweat, from his shoulders down to his ass and back up again.

“Yes. No?” Dan laughs, lips bumping against Noah’s throat. “Now I’m just emotional for other reasons.”

Noah gives Dan a squeeze, kisses the flushed pink tip of his ear. “If it helps, I’m right there with you.”

“You being right here with me does help.” After a minute of lying there, Dan gives a final peck to Noah’s shoulder and starts to rise. “I need pancakes. And a shower.”

“Sounds good.” Noah swings his legs off the mattress. “You shower first, I can make the pancakes.”

“No, I need very specific pancakes. You shower first and I’ll order them.”

When Noah gets out of the shower he’s still feeling raw. He starts gathering things that will help: a kiss from Dan as he passes into the bathroom; his phone, notebook, and pen; the pot and rolling papers. He catches a glimpse of white on the floor near the bed and reaches for it. It’s Dan’s t-shirt, discarded there earlier. On impulse, Noah pulls it on over his head.

It smells so strongly of Dan it makes Noah feel instantly more together. It feels silly even to think, but it’s almost like being held by Dan. He smooths his hands over the worst of the wrinkles, and then takes everything out into the living room. 

By the time the doorbell rings Dan is out of the shower. He gets the food and carries it into the kitchen. Noah marks his place in his notebook and joins him.

They eat at the table, sitting close and letting their feet overlap under the table. Dan gives Noah a little side-eye but doesn’t mention the shirt. He does rub his fingers over the shoulder where the shirt fits Noah a little snugger than it does Dan.

“We’re still going to your friends show tonight, right?” Dan asks between mouthfuls. He has his phone on the table next to his plate, idly scrolling Instagram.

“If you still want to?”

Dan looks up. “Of course I do. I’d like to meet some of your ‘LA crew,’ too.”

“I wouldn’t say I have a crew, necessarily.” 

“But you have friends here, from when you did your show.”

“Sure.” He does. Lief, who they’re seeing tonight, is someone he met while he was living in the city filming _Kevin From Work_. He used to play sets at the bar the cast frequented. He still talks to Matt now and then, and he’s kept up with Paige and Punam via social media.

“Then I’d like to meet them. What was it you said? ‘Any friend of my boyfriend is a friend of mine?’ Works both ways.”

A smile spreads across Noah’s face, and he looks up from his partially eaten pancakes to offer it to Dan. Dan’s elbow slides along the table until it nudges Noah’s, and then they go back to eating.

A good portion of the day stretches out ahead of them, with nothing to do after they clean up. Noah can tell as they settle into the couch that Dan is antsy to do something. Work, meaning write, judging by the way he keeps glancing over his shoulder at his desk where his journal and laptop sit. He’s clearly not paying attention to the show they’re watching, despite having chosen it.

“Daniel,” Noah says, reaching out to hit pause on the remote. Dan turns, startled. “Go write.”

“Huh? No, I don’t—” he starts, but Noah shakes his head. “I wasn’t going to work today.”

“Do you not want to?” Dan looks back at his desk, his body language answer enough. “Go,” Noah urges.

“But.” When Dan turns back around he looks so pained Noah scoots closer to him on the couch, until his knee is pressing into Dan’s thigh. “We don’t have a lot of time left, and I wanted to spend as much of it as possible together.”

Noah reaches out to curve his hand around Dan’s neck, and when that doesn’t feel like enough he swings himself around to straddle Dan’s lap. Dan’s hands come up immediately, sliding around Noah’s back.

“Hey,” Noah says. He tries to sound as soothing as he can, but he also needs to get Dan’s full attention. He hates that his own fear of talking about the future is making Dan feel insecure enough to worry like this. He braces Dan’s jaw with his fingers so he can look directly into Dan’s eyes. “If you’re writing at your desk, and I’m out in the yard—probably also writing—we’re still together.”

Dan bites his lips together, but he nods.

“Even if you’re at a meeting, and I’m here. Or if you’re here, and I’m in Toronto. We’re still together. The geography doesn’t matter.” Noah slides one thumb over Dan’s stubbled cheek to the little divot under his lower lip. He tugs until Dan unclenches his teeth, but Dan just twists his mouth to the side. Noah kisses him until he relaxes under Noah’s hands.

“Thank you,” Dan says when Noah breaks the kiss. “I needed to hear that today.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t make that clear sooner.”

Dan looks up at him, a smile slowly spreading across his face. Then his eyes flick sideways and Noah laughs.

“Go write,” he says, and Dan tightens his arms around Noah.

“Your mouth is saying one thing, but your body is saying something completely different.”

Noah ducks down for another kiss, adding in a sinuous roll of his hips, and then gets to his feet. Dan groans, but it’s immediately followed by a laugh, and then he stands and goes straight for his desk.

It takes Noah no time at all to get lost in his own writing, with the sound of Dan’s keyboard clacking and pen scratching over the music he keeps on quietly in the background. The little zygote of a song he’s been noodling with all week is starting to coalesce into something more solid, and the more involved Dan is in his process, muttering to himself and cracking his knuckles while he stares at Final Draft before typing again, the easier it seems Noah’s own creative energy flows.

That synchronicity repeats when Noah gets stuck, tapping the end of his pen on a page. The bridge of the song just isn’t coming to him. He looks up and sees Dan gazing out the window, fingers idle in his lap.

“Hit a wall?” Noah asks. Dan turns to look over his shoulder, taking a second to focus.

“Ran out of steam,” he says. He rolls his shoulders. “Let’s go for a walk.”

Noah glances at his things spread out on the table. “Smoke first?”

They sit outside to smoke again, passing the joint Noah rolled back and forth.

“Can you talk about what you’re writing yet?” Dan has a dozen ideas that’s he’s told Noah about it, and probably more besides, but Noah doesn’t know which of them he’s chosen to try working on first. Dan bites his lips, exhales a stream of smoke, holds the joint out for Noah.

“I don’t know if I know for sure yet.” Dan’s hands make shapes in the air as he talks. “Kate—that’s the writer I met last night, Kate—and I came up with something, but it’s. I don’t know if it’s _the_ thing, you know?”

“Mostly I just want to know if you’ve written my next character.” Noah hands the joint back to Dan and makes as serious a face as he can muster. Dan narrows his eyes.

“Actually, I think we’re looking for an all-female cast for this project.”

“Oh, really?”

“Mm.” Dan inhales, holds it, exhales. “Besides, I thought your next character is ‘Grammy-award-winning musician’. Were you working on my song just now?”

“As a matter of fact, I was. It’s almost done. Or at least the words are. If I had a piano, or a keyboard, or my guitar, I could maybe finish it.” 

“Guess I need to invest in a piano for the new place.”

Dan holds the joint to his lips, blinking away the smoke. Yet again he’s casually dropped a sentence that threatens to knock Noah over, and he seems completely oblivious. Noah must look as gobsmacked as he feels, because when Dan glances over he tilts his head and makes a face.

“What?”

“That’s uh, it’s,” Noah clears his throat. “That’s a big investment.”

“Well. I could at least get you an upright.” Dan takes another drag and holds the joint out for Noah to take. Noah smiles.

“Huh. I was touched. But now I’m being downgraded.”

“I’ll buy a little keyboard,” Dan says. “And maybe one of those Fisher Price guitars that plays nursery rhymes.”

“Alright,” Noah says, laughing.

“Maybe your friend will let you bring a guitar home for the night.”

“Nah. I’ll just finish the song when I’m—” he trails off. He had almost said “home.” But Dan had just referred to his house as “home.” He could have said “back here” or something similar, but he didn’t. “Back in Toronto,” he finishes.

Dan watches him, expression slightly obscured by the smoke curling between them. The joint is barely a stub between Noah’s fingers. “Let’s go for that walk,” he says.

They put Redmond in his harness and set off. Dan takes them in a different direction than they’d gone in before, and they stay out longer than the last time. It’s yet another beautiful, sunny day, cooler than the previous few. Fall in Southern California has finally arrived. Noah sticks his hands in his pockets and enjoys the breeze on his face.

The walk must shake something loose in Dan, because he goes straight to his desk when they get back. Noah takes a book off of Dan’s table and carries it out to the yard.

Lief had told Noah to come early so they could hang out backstage for a bit before his set, and Noah wants to go out to dinner before. Which means he still has a couple of hours to kill.

So, of course, he falls asleep in the chair out on the deck.

Dan wakes him up with a hand on his shoulder and a crooked smile. “If Joan put you to sleep, we’re going to have words.”

The book in question is open across Noah’s knee. He blinks down at it, then back up at Dan. His brain isn’t quite back online yet, his limbs and eyelids feel heavy. Dan laughs.

“Come inside, you’re going to burn out here.”

There’s a candle lit on the table, and the living room smells like roses and berries. Dan pushes him down onto the couch, and Noah lets Dan arrange him however he’d like. Noah’s half-asleep again by the time Dan’s done getting situated, spreading a blanket over them and gathering Noah to his chest.

The TV is on low when Noah wakes up again. Dan’s arms are still around him, and the scent of the candle still hangs in the air. He can feel the change in Dan’s body when he realizes Noah’s awake.

“You were worried about working,” Noah says, voice thick with sleep. “And then I napped away hours.”

“Yes, but when I’m writing we can’t cuddle,” Dan says. Noah nuzzles into Dan’s chest, brushing a kiss across his shirt.

“We could try.”

“I don’t know that I’d be very productive.”

Noah noses up to Dan’s neck and over his chin, giving him a kiss despite what he’s sure is terrible post-nap breath. Dan doesn’t complain, just tilts right into it.

They stay there on the couch, curled together with Redmond sprawled next to them, until it’s time to get ready.

Dan fusses over his hair for a long time, pinching and pulling strands this way and that. It’s almost as if he’s nervous, which is incomprehensible and also adorable. They’re going to a dive-y bar to see an acquaintance of Noah’s play a show, and Dan is nervous. Meanwhile, Noah throws a shirt over his tee, leaving the buttons undone. When Dan comes out of the bathroom to finish getting dressed he does a double-take.

“You’re wearing that shirt?”

Noah looks down at himself, grabbing the lapels and holding them out. “Uh, yes?” Dan’s seen him wear this shirt before, and he’s never commented on it.

“Not that, the,” he waves a hand at Noah, “the t-shirt.”

“Oh.” Noah can feel a flush creeping across his face. “Yeah.”

“I slept in that shirt. You slept in that shirt. You can’t wear it out in public.”

“But that’s why I want to,” Noah says. Dan’s eyes go wide. Noah shrugs. “It smells good. A little like you, a little like me. And it’s comfortable.”

“That is somehow really gross and really cute all at the same time.”

Noah laughs. “Isn’t that my brand?” He uses his Dan voice, which makes Dan roll his eyes.

“I only occasionally think you’re gross. And I don’t sound like that.”

Noah crosses the room to drop a kiss on Dan’s shoulder before Dan pulls on his sweater. How he can wear one when it’s still warm out is baffling to Noah, but he’s seen him work a 12-hour day in July while wearing one thicker than the one he currently has on, so.

Dan calls them a car, and the driver makes small talk before dropping them off. Noah had asked Dan to pick a place to eat close to the venue, and he chose a small, dimly lit cafe that is mostly empty. They’re a little early for dinner by LA standards, but it’s nice to have their choice of the shiny, dark wood tables that fill the space. They order noodles and Dan gets a coffee. His phone sits face-up next to his water glass and it flashes several times in a row with notifications.

“You can check those,” Noah says, after the fifth time Dan glances down at it.

“It’s Emily,” he says. He grimaces in apology and unlocks the screen. “She’s freaking about her speech for Saturday.”

“Why is she texting you?” They’re supposed to be writing about Dan—something Noah has been putting off all week—it seems weird to be texting him about it.

“Are you volunteering to field some of these? Because one-fifth of them so far have just been emojis.”

The exasperation is mostly for show; Dan loves Emily and all of her quirks. Noah gets his phone out of his pocket and shoots her a text. The dots immediately appear.

“There. You shouldn’t have to help us write our own intros. You have your own speech to worry about.” Emily’s first response, just _HELP_ with about a dozen exclamation points, arrives, but she’s typing something else, too.

“My speech is done,” Dan says. “Or mostly, at least. I want to read it through again, and edit it, but it’s mostly done.”

“Of course it is. I should have known.” Dan probably wrote it the day he found out about the award. He’s responsible that way.

“Have you written yours?” Dan keeps his eyes on his phone as he asks. Noah glances down at the string of emojis Emily just sent—featuring multiple exploding heads and crying faces. 

“Nope. I’m going to wing it.”

Dan’s head jerks up, eyes wide. Then he catches the smirk on Noah’s face and scowls. “You’re the worst.”

“I’m not totally kidding, though. I planned on writing it at the last possible second, and I’m definitely using the first draft. I don’t want it to sound too rehearsed. I want it to be as genuine as possible.” Noah casts a quick look around the restaurant and then nudges Dan’s shoe with his own under the table. “Heartfelt.”

Dan ducks his head back down and taps out a message on his phone. “Emily is going to send her draft to you and Annie.”

“Sounds good.”

They finish their dinner and order dessert. Noah can’t remember a meal with Dan that didn’t include dessert. Not counting breakfast, of course, although sometimes breakfast with Dan basically was dessert. Dan pays, smiling coyly as he slides the bill folder away from Noah’s hands.

“You’ve paid for pretty much everything this whole week,” Noah says, reaching out.

“Stuff at the house doesn’t count,” Dan says. He tucks his card into the folder. “This is a date.”

The low tone of his voice curls around Noah, and he pulls his hands back. They haven’t had a lot of chances to date. To go out on dates. Suddenly he wishes he’d put a little more thought into the evening.

“Well then,” he says after the server has spirited the bill away. “Thank you, Daniel.”

“You’re welcome, Noah.”

It’s only a few blocks to the venue, and the streets are getting busy. The night is cool - still not sweater cool, but so many of the people they see are wearing similar clothes to Dan.

Wimpy Californians.

They stop at the bar before heading backstage, and Dan lets Noah buy him a beer. Dan’s not a total snob, but it’s still weird to see him holding a can, sipping at it delicately.

Noah gives his name to the guy watching the door into the back room, and he pushes it open to let Noah pass.

“Hey!” Lief greets, jumping up from a worn-looking couch. He sets aside the guitar he’d been tuning. Noah goes in for a handshake-hug combo, and then holds out a hand to Dan.

“Lief, this is Dan. Dan, Lief.”

Lief gives Dan the same handshake/hug, and Dan taps his wrist to Lief’s back, holding his beer away so it doesn’t splash on Lief’s shirt.

“It’s nice to meet you, thanks so much for coming.”

“My pleasure,” Dan says. Noah can’t stop smiling.

A few other people are hanging out in the room, Lief’s girlfriend and her friends, Lief’s drummer and keyboard player. Noah’s met most of them before, though the drummer is new, so they get through some small talk and then catch up on things they haven’t been able to learn from social media. Lief swings his guitar back up into his lap to pluck at the strings.

“Uh oh,” Dan says, looking back and forth from the guitar to Noah. “You better watch out or he’ll snatch that thing right out of your hands.”

Noah shakes his head. Lief laughs. “I didn’t bring mine to LA,” Noah explains. “I may be going through slight withdrawals.”

“Oh, man.” Lief turns it flat, strings up, and offers it to Noah. “You can tune her for me. Or better yet, come up and play a song with us.”

“Oh, no,” Noah says, but everyone else—Dan included—is enthusiastically agreeing with Lief. It was common enough in the past, when Noah would be three beers in after a long day of filming, homesick and tipsy and totally willing to jump on stage and belt something out. “What would we even play?”

Everyone has a suggestion. Dan starts with Shania Twain, a sparkle in his eye and dimple making an appearance, and his song choices only get more ridiculous from there. Nothing the drummer is giving him works, but the keyboard player has a good idea or two. Then Lief names a Bob Dylan song that makes Noah cave.

“That one,” he says. His heart thumps in his chest. He doesn’t look to Dan to see if he recognizes it. “If you’re insisting, then I’ll come up and play that one.”

“I’m insisting,” Lief says.

Noah drags Dan back to the bar for another round so they don’t have to drink the cheap stuff Lief prefers backstage. He debates ordering himself a shot. Dan angles his body so he can brush his hand against Noah’s hip without anyone seeing.

“I’m really glad you agreed to play.” His voice is pitched just loud enough to be heard over the music the bartender has on and the din of conversation. “I haven’t seen you perform in a while.”

“You just saw me at the show last month.”

“That’s a while,” Dan insists. Then he leans close to speak into Noah’s ear. “It’ll be nice to see you performing outside of a show context. We need more things to be for us, outside of the show.”

He immediately hides his mouth with his beer, and Noah fervently wishes they could find a dark, quiet corner of the bar to make out in.

The bar is separate from the room where the stage is set up, so they head in to find a spot to stand. There’s a counter running along the wall, and they lean there with their beers. Dan’s behind Noah, and the space fills up enough that Dan can press against Noah without being obvious.

Noah loves live music, especially like this. Small rooms in bars, everyone drinking and swaying or bobbing their heads. People up on stage who are genuinely enjoying themselves. Lief’s music style is similar to Noah’s, and it’s gratifying to see the crowd getting into it. To see Dan getting into it.

“Thank you very much,” Lief says about halfway through the set. “We’d like to bring a guest up on stage to play a song now, if Noah would like to join us.”

Noah throws a look over his shoulder at Dan, who grins from ear to ear, beer on the counter so he can applaud. Adrenaline dumps into his system in a cold rush as he steps onto the stage, but taking the guitar and adjusting the strap over his shoulder helps settle his nerves. The lights aren’t bright enough to obscure the audience, so Noah can see Dan clearly, leaning one elbow on the counter, face rapt with attention. Noah strums to make sure everything’s in tune and clears his throat.

The band lets him start so they can follow his tempo, and they sound so good it’s easy to step up to the mic and sing.

He lets his eyes skip around the room during the first verse, but by the time he gets to the last line he settles his gaze on Dan. He can see the change in Dan’s face as he sings, “‘Cause tonight I’ll be staying here with you.”

It’s riveting. Dan straightens himself up, cocks his head like it’ll help him absorb the lyrics better. Noah has to look away; it’s too obvious, too public, too much. But he glances back every time he repeats that line, and really puts what he’s feeling behind his voice.

There’s a raucous round of applause when he finishes, and even a whistle or two. Noah waves, and meets Dan’s eyes. It’s the weirdest sense of deja vu, Dan’s face scrunched up like he can’t process all the things he’s feeling. Noah knows he’s too far away to really see, but he bets Dan’s eyes are shining.

“Thanks,” Noah says, away from the mic, to Lief.

“Thank you,” Lief replies, and pulls him in for a hug.

He gets a few back slaps as he makes his way off the stage and back to Dan, as Lief intros the next song. Dan grabs his elbow and squeezes, and Noah tucks himself back against the counter. No one is really paying them any attention anymore, but Noah doesn’t want to take any chances.

“Leaving would be rude, right?” Dan asks, leaning in so Noah can hear him.

“Probably.” Noah turns to the stage so he can at least look like he’s paying attention. He sways into Dan, and Dan’s hand skims his side.

“You were amazing,” Dan says. Noah can feel Dan’s lips just barely brush the shell of his ear. Being rude is looking more and more acceptable by the second.

They manage to hold out until the end of the set, touching as much and as discreetly as they can, and then duck backstage to make their apologies. Lief puts up a fight, and Noah does feel a little bad that he’s ditching when he gets to spend so little time in LA with people. But Lief also seems to understand what’s going on, and after a protest or two he waves them off with a smile.

Dan calls for a car, and they stand out on the bright, busy sidewalk to wait for it. The air between them feels charged, and they keep catching each other’s eye and then looking away.

“That song was a lot,” Dan says, fiddling with his phone. “In a good way.”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

“I’m glad you played it.” They grin at each other, standing under the streetlights in the glow of the neon signs in the bar windows until a black sedan pulls up to the curb.

It feels like the end of a really good date, walking up to Dan’s door. Without the pressure and wondering if he’ll get a kiss or an invite inside, which is even better. He knows he’s getting a kiss, so he gets to just enjoy the anticipation while Dan takes care of Red.

The payoff is even better than Noah thought it would be. Dan comes up behind Noah in the kitchen, while Noah is unscrewing the caps of two seltzers, and wraps his arms around Noah’s chest.

Noah sets the bottles down and curls his hands over Dan’s forearms.

“Thanks for a lovely evening,” he says. He puts a little lilt in his voice, and Dan huffs quietly against the back of his head.

“Thank you for the song,” Dan says. He rubs his chin along the nape of Noah’s neck, the edge of his collar, to the sensitive skin under his ear.

“Who said it was for you?”

“Were you planning on staying somewhere else with someone else?”

Noah turns in Dan’s arms, resting back against the counter and sliding his hands around Dan’s waist. He drops the teasing and meets Dan’s eyes. “Nope.”

“Then it was for me.” Noah squeezes Dan’s sides, and Dan smiles, the slow, crooked smile that’s like the sun shining directly onto Noah’s face. He leans in just as slowly as he smiles, and Noah’s heart is thundering in his chest before their mouths even meet.

The first brush of the tip of Dan’s tongue to Noah’s lip is like touching a live wire, a jolt that goes all the way through Noah. He gasps, mouth parting, and Dan slides his tongue inside.

It’s mind-blowing, the effect Dan has on Noah, after one incredible orgasm already that day, after almost a week of constant kissing and touching. One kiss and Noah’s panting every time Dan pulls back, knees weak.

“I know I said this already,” Dan says, dragging his cheek across Noah’s to Noah’s neck. “But you really were amazing tonight.”

“Thank you, Daniel,” Noah says. Dan rubs his chin back and forth and then licks over the same spot. “You already gave me stubble burn there, remember?”

“Right, you had other spots.” Dan comes back to Noah’s mouth, and Noah slips his hands under Dan’s sweater. “Can I tie you up?”

That is not what Noah had been expecting Dan to say next, but he immediately answers, “Yes.” He’s been thinking about it since Emmy night, since the suspenders. He can’t wait to see what Dan has hidden away for this purpose.

Dan breaks away from Noah with one last peck to his lips, then grabs his hand and the bottles of water and leads Noah to the bedroom.

“Take your clothes off and lay back on the bed.”

It’s ridiculously hot how easily commanding Dan can be. His director voice had been quieter though no less firm, and just as easy for Noah’s body to obey. Dan watches him strip off his overshirt, raking his eyes over Noah’s chest and abdomen while he’s wearing Dan’s tee, and Noah leaves that on in favor of unbuttoning his jeans. When he’s down to the tee and his boxer briefs Dan holds up a hand.

“Never mind, stop there. Lie down.”

Noah does, positioning himself in the middle of the bed, tucking a pillow under his neck. Dan gets on his knees and reaches under the bed, coming back up with a box. Noah can’t see over the lid when Dan opens it, but he can tell there’s quite a bit of stuff in there when Dan has to rummage a little to find what he’s looking for.

He holds up a set of soft rope restraints, and Noah licks his lips. He’s already so hard, leaking in his underwear, and the sight of perfectly put-together Dan with bondage gear in his hands is really, really doing it for Noah.

Dan reaches out to skim a finger over Noah’s cheekbone, where he knows he’s flushed bright red. “Do you want a safeword?”

“No. I won’t say no or stop unless I mean it.”

It’s very convenient that Dan has a metal headboard. Dan loops the restraints around the bars, and then places Noah’s arms where he wants them before slipping a loop over Noah’s hand and tightening it against Noah’s wrist. The rope is as soft as it looks, and Dan leaves enough slack that Noah can adjust his shoulders if he needs to. But he can’t move far, and testing the give of the restraints, pulling as far as he can to feel the resistance, sends a shiver up Noah’s spine.

“That good?” Dan asks, rubbing along the skin over Noah’s wrist bone. 

“Yes, very.”

Dan leans over Noah and gives him a light, brief kiss. Noah’s arms instinctively jerk, wanting to reach for Dan to keep him there. Dan smirks.

“I’m really going to enjoy this,” he says.

His hand has been stealthily sneaking under the hem of the shirt Noah is still wearing, fingers tapping over the trail of hair leading to Noah’s navel. He gives Noah more easy, gentle kisses as he lifts the shirt up to Noah’s armpits. Then he lowers his head to drop similar kisses to each of Noah’s nipples. Then he rubs his chin over one, the sudden sharp sensation of his stubble there making Noah gasp.

“Was that one of the spots you were thinking of?” His voice is deceptively innocent as he digs his chin into Noah’s pec muscle.

“It wasn’t, but it is now,” Noah says, arching his back. Dan’s smirk is still firmly in place.

“I think that one will have to wait.”

Just the sound of Dan’s voice makes Noah want to whimper, the scrape of his stubble down Noah’s stomach actually draws the sound out. Noah drops his head back against the pillow, eyes squeezed closed. He has a feeling he knows exactly what Dan has planned, and watching him while he executes said plan might make Noah come in his underwear.

The destination does end up being Noah’s thighs, where Dan begins his assault with the pads of his fingers. The sleeves of his sweater brush Noah’s knees as Dan skims the edges of his boxer briefs. He’s still fully clothed, which would normally be a travesty but right now is so hot it’s frying Noah’s brain.

Dan follows his hands with his mouth, nipping at Noah’s skin with his lips, tongue darting out to taste. He works his hands up under Noah’s ass, pulling at the waistband of his underwear. Noah braces his feet on the bed so he can lift up enough to help Dan pull Noah’s underwear down, and then lifts them one at a time so Dan can slide the underwear all the way off.

“Still good?” Dan asks. Noah pries his eyes open and tilts his chin down. Dan’s fingers are splayed over the crease of Noah’s groin, almost framing Noah’s cock. His chin is poised centimeters over Noah’s thigh. His hair is still perfect, because Noah can’t get his hands into it.

“Still good,” Noah says. His voice is rough, his throat dry. “ _So_ good.”

One corner of Dan’s mouth quirks up higher, and he gives Noah’s balls a delicate kiss.

Then he scrapes his chin over the thin skin of Noah’s inner thigh.

Noah cries out, knee coming up and wrists pulling at the restraints. Dan raises an eyebrow.

“Still good. I’m good. That felt so good,” Noah babbles, the sting in his thigh fading to a slight burn. His dick throbs.

Dan alternates rubbing his bristly cheeks and jaw over Noah’s thighs with wet, sucking kisses, stopping every now and then to rub his fingers over where Noah is getting brilliantly red. Noah can see the edges of the marks Dan is making if he bends his knee. He tugs at the ropes unthinkingly, desperate to touch himself.

“Dan. Dan, please,” he pants. He tosses his head on the pillow and then looks down.

“Do I need to stop?”

“Don’t stop,” Noah says. “Please don’t stop. Just, I need—” The headboard creaks as he shifts. “I need you to touch me.”

“Oh,” Dan says, as if that thought never would have occurred to him if Noah hadn’t asked. “I suppose I can do that.”

He closes his fingers around Noah’s cock, and even if his grip is too dry and too loose, it’s such a relief that Noah half-sobs.

“Fuck,” Dan says, and takes his hand away.

“Wait, no,” Noah says, body curving towards Dan as much as it can without hurting his shoulders. “Come back.”

“I will, just—” Dan fumbles with his pants, stopping to whip his sweater and shirt up over his head, then finishes stripping. “There.”

When he lays back down between Noah’s spread legs, he’s warm and bare and able to touch himself while he jerks Noah off. There’s just enough precome on Noah’s dick to ease a little of the friction, and Dan tightens his fingers as he slides them down. As he slides back up he twists his hand and drags his chin over a particularly sore spot on Noah’s thigh.

“ _Fuck_ , Dan.” Noah presses his legs out and down, everything clenching up as he comes.

“God,” Dan says, sounding awed, as Noah pulses over his stomach and Dan’s fingers. When he’s done shaking, Dan crawls up over him. He switches hands so he can use Noah’s come to slick his own cock and curls his clean hand around the back of Noah’s neck. “That was incredible,” he says, ducking down and giving Noah a deep, messy kiss.

Noah’s fingers flex, wanting to be in Dan’s hair, and he clenches them against his palms and focuses on kissing Dan back as well as he can. Dan’s legs are tense, the wiry hair on his thighs brushing right where Noah’s skin is stinging and sore, and then they shudder as Dan comes all over where Noah is already wet.

“Hands, my hands,” Noah chants. He needs to be touching Dan right now. Dan reaches up, and even though he’s post-orgasm clumsy he gets Noah loose easily. He draws Noah’s wrists down to kiss them, and Noah pets whatever bits of Dan’s face he can reach with his greedy, tingling fingers.

Dan settles heavily over Noah, and his knees slide wide, pressing into the inside of Noah’s thighs.

“Oh my god, you’re literally burning up,” Dan says. Noah spreads his hands over Dan’s ass to keep him in place.

“It felt amazing. It feels amazing.”

Once the afterglow wears off, Noah’s going to be sore as hell. But for now the sting is dulled by the pleasure it had drawn out of him.

“Still,” Dan says. He kisses the corner of Noah’s mouth. “Let me clean us up and get you something for that.”

Noah floats in a lovely cloud of sleepiness and satisfaction, sprawled on the mattress until Dan comes back with a washcloth and a jar of something that feels cool and creamy on his thighs. Dan rubs it in gently and Noah sighs happily.

Dan’s chuckle is warm. “You are 99 percent asleep already.”

“99.9.”

Noah lets himself be rolled onto his side, a pillow tucked between his legs, and barely flutters an eyelid when Dan presses a kiss to his temple. Then he’s out like a light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gray and TINN and I came up with the best backstory for Lief that might eventually end up being a side fic. He has an interesting history with Noah.


	5. Friday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _i could get used to havin you around  
>  yeah baby in my arms_  
> \- "False Alarms," Noah Reid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Definitely wrote this chapter before Dan posted pictures of his kitchen and we learned that he DIDN'T have it gutted for renovation. OH WELL.

Noah wakes up alone, and his thighs burn when he rolls over to feel the sheets on Dan’s side of the bed. They’re cold. It’s the first time since the morning of the Emmys that Dan has beaten Noah out of bed. The jar of cream Dan used on him the night before is still on the bedside table, so Noah smoothes some on before sliding into his pajama pants. The sting of his own calloused fingers rubbing over the still-pink rawness of his skin doesn’t do much to quell his morning erection.

Dan’s not at the dining room table or in the kitchen, and his writing nook is empty. Noah is about to open the door to go outside when he sees the tuft of Redmond’s tail sticking out from behind the couch. When Noah goes to investigate, he finds Dan sprawled on his back, phone held up over his head, which is tucked into the fur of Redmond’s belly. He’s wearing his earbuds and Noah’s hoodie. If there was room between the back of the couch and the table for Noah to fit, he’d get right down on the floor with them.

Propping his hip against the couch, Noah taps his toes against Dan’s. Dan startles and almost drops his phone on his face. He swipes one of his earbuds out and presses his lips together.

“What are you doing?”

“Just hanging out,” Dan says.

“Weird spot for it.”

Redmond’s front paw is on Dan’s forehead, and he’s blinking lazily up at Noah. Dan shrugs.

“Redmond picked it.”

Noah shakes his head, unable to keep the fond smile from his face, or the fond feeling from swelling in his chest. He can’t deal with this much emotion in the morning before he’s caffeinated.

“How’re your thighs?” Dan asks. He’s barely containing a smirk with his teeth. Noah shifts his weight, even the soft brushing of the fabric of his pants making his skin burn. He feels a flush creeping across his cheeks and Dan’s smirk bursts out.

“This is too wholesome a scene to be ruined,” Noah says. “I need coffee.”

Dan has an appointment to record a podcast today, so they don’t have a lot of time to kill together. Noah tries to ignore the desire that washes through him every time he moves and his thighs twinge, and occupies himself with making breakfast and pouring coffee, asking Dan about his schedule. The normality, the routineness of it all, finally calms Noah down. Instead of imagining Dan crawling across the floor and sucking Noah off in his chair, he’s imagining weeks more of mornings like this. Months of these mornings. Years. It’s easy to do when Dan is sitting across from him, wearing Noah’s hoodie, their feet tangled under the table.

After Dan is showered and ready to go, he drops a kiss on Noah’s upturned face and heads out the door.

Noah’s first call of the morning is to Jamie, who goes through Noah’s tour email with him. There are only one or two minor changes that need to happen because of venue availability, but Noah has LA on the 15th of February for sure. Noah thanks Jamie and then calls his parents for a check up. They want him to come to dinner when he’s back in Toronto, which he readily agrees to. As much as he doesn’t want to leave, something he never imagined he’d feel about Los Angeles, he’ll be glad to see his family.

Then he addresses the flurry of messages in the group text he’d started between himself, Annie, and Emily, by FaceTiming them. Thankfully they both answer.

“Hiiiii,” Annie sings.

“Nice bedhead,” Emily adds. He expects no less than five minutes of teasing and terrorizing before they get down to business, so he leans back into the couch cushions and lets them have their fun.

“Is Dan home?” Annie asks.

“No, he’s recording a podcast today. I figured it would be easier to plan out nice things to say about him when he isn’t around.”

“Good call.”

Their original plan for the intro had been three separate speeches that would work in concert, but Emily is too nervous for it.

“I’m going to get too emotional,” she claims, and she’s probably not wrong. Noah’s having a hard time getting his own head around it. Wrapping up this week by telling a room full of strangers why Dan is amazing, combined with the fact that Noah is flying back to Toronto from San Francisco, might be too much to handle.

He misses a minute of the conversation, and Annie must read something in his face because she asks, “Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah,” he says. “I’m good.”

Both Annie and Emily tilt their heads at him. They aren’t buying it for a minute. They know how much both Dan and Noah were looking forward to this week, how much it meant to them.

“Maybe we can all write something together, and switch off who’s speaking,” Annie suggests. “That way we can each get a break when we get emotional.”

It’s a good strategy. They talk it out, the main things they want to say and who is going to say them. Annie makes suggestions for Noah’s part, how he can infuse more humour, and Emily makes sure they’re hitting all the appropriate notes and points for the specific event. Annie promises to type it up and send it to them for editing, and then levels a super-serious look at the screen.

“Enjoy the rest of the week,” she says. Noah nods.

“Give Dan a kiss from us,” Emily adds. Noah promises he will.

When they sign off, Noah sighs and slumps back on the couch. He lets himself wallow a little and then gets up to take a shower.

As he’s drying off and contemplating what he has left that’s clean to wear, his phone lights up with a text.

_Stopping at TJ’s for pizza supplies. Any requests?_

_The one near here?_

_Yeah._

_Can I meet you there and shop with you?_

Noah fishes out a henley and some underwear while he waits for a response.

_Sure. Give me 20._

It’s more like 30, because Noah’s already got a bunch of stuff in his cart when Dan rounds the end of the frozen aisle and spots him.

“Fancy meeting you here,” he says, smile crooked and eyes soft. Noah wishes he could kiss him, but there are other people in the aisle. Dan makes a face like he knows exactly what Noah is thinking, and busies himself with poking through the items Noah has selected.

“Did you have a good time?” Noah asks. Dan finishes his perusal and then he pulls the front of the cart to get Noah to follow him.

“It was really fun. I had a blast.”

“I look forward to hearing it.”

They pile the cart with food, anything anyone could ever want on a pizza. Noah’s had countless pizza nights with Dan and a variety of friends, but he’s never been a part of the planning before. He’s enjoying this behind-the-scenes look, and the domesticity of grocery shopping together. Another normal couple experience to tuck away.

When they have everything packed into the car they climb in and Noah immediately gets his hand on Dan’s thigh. “I want to kiss you, but.”

“Huh, I never would have been able to tell,” Dan says, eyes sparkling. “When we get home.”

“As soon as we get home,” Noah says, and squeezes Dan’s leg.

He makes good on his promise, letting Dan set the bags he’s carrying down on the counter before framing Dan’s face with his hands and kissing him. It goes on a little longer than a hello kiss, all the feelings from Noah’s FaceTime with Annie and Emily bubbling up and making him press closer.

“Hello,” Dan says, smiling against Noah’s mouth. “This is a very nice belated greeting, but we do have frozen food to put away.”

“It’ll keep for a minute.” Noah smothers Dan’s chuckle, slipping his tongue into Dan’s mouth to sweep the back of his teeth. Dan groans quietly, tucking his hands up the back of Noah’s shirt. “Okay,” Noah says, leaving Dan with a peck to his lower lip. “Now I’m done.”

Everything that needs to be refrigerated or frozen gets put away, and everything else Dan lines up on the counter for easy access later. Noah throws together some stuff for lunch, and then they take up what have become their normal positions on the couch.

Noah really isn’t trying to dwell on it being Friday, or the fact that they’re leaving tomorrow and Noah might not ever be in this house ever again. He’s trying not to focus on the weeks ahead in which he and Dan will be four thousand miles apart. But sitting on the couch with Dan’s thigh pressed all along his, it’s hard not to.

“Me and Annie and Emily wrote our GLAAD speech today,” Noah says. He slides his arm around Dan’s shoulder, fiddles with the collar of his sweater.

“I heard,” Dan says. When Noah furrows his eyebrows, Dan shrugs. “Emily.”

“She didn’t send it to you, did she?”

“No, no. But she did send me a screenshot of all of your faces while you were talking about it.”

“Oh lord.”

“It’s going to make me cry, isn’t it?”

“Oh, Daniel.” Noah ruffles his hand over the short hair at the back of Dan’s head, up until he can tug the longer strands between his fingers. “Of course it is.”

“Great. Can’t wait.”

“You know what else is going to make you cry?” Dan lifts an eyebrow. “I’m wearing the white sneakers again.”

Every time Noah wears white sneakers on a red carpet, Dan rants for a solid ten minutes about it. Even at the MTV Awards, when Dustin had also been wearing white sneakers. It delights Noah to no end. Dan’s face goes through a particularly complex series of contortions before he finally sighs.

“I have a confession,” he says, and Noah cups the back of his head, turning it so Dan has to look Noah in the eyes. “I love that you continue to wear inappropriate-for-your-outfit footwear to formal events.”

Noah gasps. It’s only half performance.

“Your lack of concern for actual fashion is,” Dan pauses, gulps. “Really endearing.”

“Wow. That’s a very backhanded compliment, but I’ll take it.” Noah pulls Dan in for a kiss. It’s meant to be easy and sweet, but there’s something about the way Dan opens up for it that ramps the heat up immediately.

He’s so responsive when they kiss. Every new angle, every change in pressure, elicits a reaction. It’s either in his face, which Noah catches in blurry snapshots every time they break apart to catch their breath, or his hands, flexing on Noah’s back or neck. Sometimes it’s vocal, a groan or a quiet gasp, a hum when Noah shifts his mouth to Dan’s cheek and then to his ear. Noah keeps a record in his head of each one, trying to remember what he’d done to cause it.

Right now he’s cataloguing the change in Dan’s breathing as Noah nips down the side of his neck. It speeds up, stops, then rushes out when Noah gives the curve of his shoulder a particularly sharp bite. Dan’s fingers curl around the back of Noah’s neck and squeeze.

“Take me to bed?” Dan asks. There’s a slight tremor in his voice that ignites something tender in Noah’s chest.

He stands and holds out a hand for Dan to take.

In the bedroom, Noah pushes Dan gently down on the edge of the mattress, then kneels on the floor between his legs. Dan’s eyes are heavy-lidded as he looks down at Noah, and his throat is flushed. Noah rubs his palms over Dan’s thighs, down the outsides to his calves and ankles, skimming his fingers into Dan’s socks so he can peel them off. Then he retraces his route to grab the hem of Dan’s sweater, and Dan’s hands join in to get it up and over Dan’s head. Dan takes care of his undershirt himself as Noah slides his fingers under the waistbands of Dan’s pants and underwear, waiting until Dan can balance himself enough to lift his hips so those can come off, too. When he’s completely naked, Noah surges up to kiss him.

“Lie down on your stomach,” Noah says when he’s kissed Dan until Dan is shaking, thigh muscles quivering under Noah’s hands. Dan thumbs across Noah’s jaw, eyes flickering across Noah’s face, and then complies.

It takes Noah about three seconds to get his own clothes off, and then he crawls up over Dan’s body. He straddles Dan’s thighs and admires the view. The soft swell of Dan’s ass, the sweet dip of his lower back, the freckles on his broad shoulders. He has his face turned on the pillow, eyes closed, mouth slack. His arms are tucked up under his head, leaving his sides and the dark tufts under his arms exposed. It’s almost impossible to decide where Noah wants to put his hands and mouth first.

After a minute or two of merely staring, he just goes for it, palms the curve of Dan’s ass cheeks and spreads them, shifts back and leans down to lick a hot, wet stripe over Dan’s hole. Dan’s whole body jerks, and a noise punches out of him. Noah rubs his tongue along the roof of his mouth, savoring, and then licks again.

Then he lets go and reaches for Dan’s shoulders.

“You’re a monster,” Dan complains, when Noah is draped over his back and kissing across the nape of his neck. Noah wiggles his hips, nestling his dick more securely in the crack of Dan’s ass, and sucks the spot under Dan’s ear.

They don’t have a lot of time before their company arrives, and now that Noah’s gotten a taste he’d really like to get back to it, but he’s enjoying the feel of Dan’s loose sprawl underneath him. He slides his hands up Dan’s ribs, fingers brushing armpit hair, smoothing over Dan’s biceps and forearms until he finds Dan’s hands under his pillow and then laces their fingers together. They can’t kiss at this angle, but Noah can brush his mouth over Dan’s stubbled cheek to the corner of his mouth, touching the tip of his tongue to the bow of Dan’s upper lip.

He grinds a little against Dan’s ass, and Dan arches up into it. Noah squeezes Dan’s fingers and then tugs his hands free.

“I need those,” he says, and gives the purse of Dan’s mouth another half of a kiss.

Then he drags his mouth down Dan’s spine, detouring now and then to a particularly tempting freckle or mole that he needs to kiss or lick, before finally getting to the small of Dan’s back. He’s kneeling between Dan’s legs, which spread wider and wider the lower Noah gets. Noah works one arm under one of Dan’s thighs, curling around it so he can get a good handful of Dan’s ass, and uses the other to pet the crease of Dan’s thigh, the thin skin behind his balls, and finally, to stroke a dry fingertip over his hole.

Dan exhales in a shaky rush, and he draws the knee Noah doesn’t have captured up the bed, spreading himself further.

“God,” Noah says. He doesn’t want to sound like a bad porn cliche, but the way Dan looks, opening himself in this way, making himself so vulnerable, is so overwhelming he can’t help himself. “Look at you. You’re perfect.”

Even from this angle Noah can see the blush staining Dan’s cheek, the edge of his ear. Noah kisses where his thumb is digging into Dan’s ass, close enough to his hole that Dan’s muscles flutter in anticipation. Noah strokes over it with his finger, applying a little pressure to the rim as he goes, and Dan’s breathing starts to match Noah’s rhythm. When he replaces his finger with his tongue, Dan loses the rhythm altogether.

Noah starts with short, easy flicks of the tip of his tongue, tilting his chin to vary the angle, getting everything wet enough to ease the way as he gets his finger back into the action. Dan’s body is constantly in motion, legs shifting on the bed, ass flexing in Noah’s grip, hips rolling under Noah’s tongue. The sounds coming out of his mouth tell Noah how well each press of finger or tongue is being received, a steady stream of feedback that gets Noah so hot he’s leaking on the bed. 

Giving Dan’s rim light, sucking kisses makes Dan whimper, pulsing the flat of his tongue against Dan’s hole makes him pant. When he works a finger in and crooks it, Dan cries out.

“Noah.” Dan’s hand comes down to grab at Noah’s wrist. He already sounds so wrecked and Noah’s just getting started.

“You good?” Noah asks. He lifts up so he can see Dan’s face. He’s flushed red all the way down his neck and across his shoulders, and his hair is a mess.

“I’m good, I’m good, it’s just—” Dan sucks in a deep breath. “Getting close.”

“Can’t have that yet.” Noah drops some kisses along Dan’s spine, letting Dan catch his breath. He loves that Dan wants to draw things out just as badly as Noah does. It takes a minute or so for Dan to release Noah’s wrist, curling his arms back under his pillow.

Then Noah dives back in.

He uses his thumb this time, a little extra stretch, his knuckle teasing Dan’s rim. Dan whines, but it’s muffled, like he’s biting the pillow. Noah doesn’t look up to see if he’s right, because he’s busy licking around his thumb, getting everything nice and wet again so he can thrust it inside.

The sound that Dan makes when Noah works the tip of his tongue inside is deeper than any noise he’s been making, a hard exhalation that accompanies the clench of his muscles around Noah’s tongue. Noah has to take a moment for himself, pressing his hips down hard against the mattress. Getting Dan to the point of being vocal without being self-conscious about it is always a top goal of Noah’s.

But today he has an even loftier goal.

After another minute of curling his tongue against the rim of Dan’s hole, alternating licks there with long, slow drags of his finger while he kisses all the close, bare skin available to him, he backs off and squeezes Dan’s hip.

“Turn over for me,” Noah says. Dan’s movements are uncoordinated, so Noah helps him get onto his back, and tucks a pillow under Dan’s hips. Then he leans up over him and surveys the scene.

Dan’s eyes are glassy, pupils blown wide, and his curls are plastered to his forehead with sweat. His hands scrabble for Noah’s shoulders, and Noah dips down to kiss up the side of Dan’s neck, bumping Dan’s cheek with his nose.

“Can you hold your leg up?” Noah tries to ease the trembling in Dan’s thigh with his palm and then cups the back of Dan’s knee, tugging it gently upwards. Dan nods, and replaces Noah’s hand with his own. “That’s good. You’re so good.” Noah gives him another peck on the cheek, and then sits back between Dan’s legs. “Perfect.”

The angle isn’t quite as good or as easy with Dan in this position, but Noah likes being able to lift his head now and then to see Dan’s whole face, watch the way his eyelids flutter and his mouth works as he pants and gasps and groans up at the ceiling. Noah also likes to be able to reach Dan’s cock, which is smearing precome all over his abs, and to have more of Dan accessible for Noah’s tongue.

“Noah,” Dan says, voice thready. Noah flattens his tongue against Dan’s hole and drags it up to his balls, then backs off and rises up over Dan.

There’s sweat beading on Dan’s forehead, and tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes, slipping down his temples into his hair. He’s flushed all the way down his chest now.

“Please,” he pleads, one hand fisted in his own hair. “Please.”

“What do you need?” Noah asks. He brushes the moisture at Dan’s temples with his knuckle.

“Touch me. Please.”

“I can do that.” Noah kisses Dan’s chin and the blood-hot skin of his throat.

Something huge and powerful is swelling behind Noah’s ribs, ignited by Dan’s tears and the desperate sounds he’s making, fed by the sweet way Dan pets at Noah’s head as he licks back down Dan’s abdomen. The guttural noise that rips out of Dan’s throat when Noah takes Dan’s cock in his hand hits Noah right in the chest.

It takes a moment to get his hand working together with his tongue and the fingers of his other hand, but Dan doesn’t seem to notice the disjointed rhythm. He’s tilting into it at his own broken pace, rocking down against Noah’s face and then up into his fist, knees held wide open.

He comes sobbing, clenching around Noah’s knuckles, and Noah kisses the soft, damp skin behind Dan’s balls as he strokes him through it, then keeps kissing along his shaking thighs, dropped against the bed, as he uses his come-covered hand to jerk himself off. It takes barely two strokes, and then he’s pressing his teeth to Dan’s hip, trying to catch as much of his own come in his palm as he can. Dan’s hands are patting Noah’s head, his shoulders, and Noah knows he’s wrung out and looking for a kiss. Noah feels the same way. But first.

“Two seconds,” Noah says, climbing off the bed. Dan whimpers. “I know. I know, I’ll be right back, I promise.” He cleans up super fast, brushing his teeth in record time and doing a quick rinse with Dan’s mouthwash, then crossing the room in a few long strides, warm washcloth in his hands.

Dan is already reaching up for him, eyes red-rimmed and hair wrecked. He gasps against Noah’s mouth, almost as if he’s crying still, and Noah cleans him up before cupping his face with both hands, soothing him with his thumbs and the press of his body. Dan’s arms clamp tightly across Noah’s back, fingers curled and knuckles dug into the muscles under Noah’s shoulder blades.

“Whew,” Dan says when Noah pulls back. He’s still sweeping his thumbs across Dan’s cheeks, but Dan looks a little more composed now. “That was a lot.” His voice is hoarse and he’s still blotchy in the face, but his eyes are clear.

“Not bad, though, right?”

“No.” Dan smiles, and his chin only wobbles a little. “Very good. Just a lot.”

“I made you cry.”

“I cried. You didn’t make me.” Dan slides a hand up to the back of Noah’s neck. “I was feeling very vulnerable, and raw, and you were making me feel so good at the same time. It was overwhelming. That’s why I cried.”

Noah kisses him, because he’s not sure what to say. Dan kisses him back, and they lay there for long moments just kissing, bodies close and holding each other tightly.

“We have company coming,” Noah says. One of Dan’s hands has crept down to Noah’s ass, which isn’t exactly motivating Noah to get up.

“Hm,” Dan says. He scrapes his teeth over Noah’s jaw.

“You should maybe let me get up so we can get ready.” Noah ducks away from Dan’s mouth, but then can’t help swooping back in for a kiss.

“You should maybe stop kissing me then,” Dan says. Noah shakes his head.

“Nah, I’ve changed my mind.” He nips under Dan’s ear and Dan tilts his head back. Then his muscles tense and all of a sudden Noah’s on his back, blinking up at the ceiling. “Okay,” he says, as Dan laughs his way to the bathroom. “That was hot.”

Dan’s still in the bathroom fussing with his hair when the doorbell rings a while later. Noah is fully dressed, or as dressed as he plans to get which means he’s wearing jeans and his henley, so he goes to get the door. It is, of course, Stacey, because she’d already told them she was coming early to pick the best pizza toppings and “get the deets on sex week.”

“Look at you,” she says as soon as she comes in the door. She’s crouched down petting Redmond but smirking up at Noah. He knows he’s completely put together, but the tone of her voice makes him feel like his pants are undone or he has a visible hickey or something.

“Shut up,” he says, but he gives her a good hug when she stands back up. She pecks his cheek and then heads straight for the bathroom. Noah lets her and Dan have their time and goes into the kitchen to open the wine and set out the dough.

Pizza nights were such a regular occurrence in Toronto that it feels like second nature to get everything ready, even if the location is different. Dan’s LA pizza peel is newer, less used, and the distance between the counter and the fridge is different, but Noah’s pizza night muscle memory works with his body’s knowledge of Dan’s LA kitchen and he gets everything out on the counter without a hitch.

Stacey and Dan come into the room as Noah is filling Redmond’s water bowl, and he pivots away to grab them wine glasses.

“Don’t you look right at home,” Stacey says, taking her wine from Noah.

“Too bad this is the last pizza night here,” Dan says, giving her a furrowed brow.

“I was trying to be cute with your boyfriend, thanks for ruining it.”

“It’s fine,” Noah says. He hands Dan his wine and then slips his arm around Dan’s waist. “I’m sure there will be plenty more in the new house.”

Dan gives him a pressed lip smile, an obvious attempt at not getting too gooey in front of Stacey. Stacey sees right through it and sighs in a melodramatic fashion. “I can’t beat you in cute, Reid.”

Noah shrugs and smugly sips his wine.

The doorbell rings again, and Stacey decides to play hostess, leaving Dan and Noah in the kitchen. Noah pops his eyebrows at Dan, who’s looking around with a frown.

“This is supposed to be fun,” Noah says. He can hear Stacey greeting Julia, Julia enthusiastically greeting Redmond.

“I know.”

“Then why is your face doing that?”

Dan rolls his eyes, but his face relaxes some. He reaches out for Noah just as Stacey and Julia come back into the kitchen. Noah still goes, because Julia knows enough and Dan clearly needs reassurance badly enough to risk teasing from Stacey. Noah puts both arms around Dan’s middle and tucks himself up to Dan’s side. Stacey coos right on cue, but Julia comes forward to kiss cheeks and blocks her from them.

“This is cozy,” is all Julia says, smile warm. Dan tightens his arm around Noah’s shoulder.

Everyone else shows up shortly after, and soon the kitchen is a whirlwind of pizza making motion. Noah makes his light on sauce and heavy on cheese, mostly as a deterrent to Dan so he doesn’t steal any. Then he distributes the rest of his toppings, casually dropping a piece of prosciutto on the floor for Redmond, who is sitting patiently at Noah’s feet.

“Does he have a new favorite?” Elena asks, sprinkling shredded cheese with two hands and nodding down at Redmond.

“Nah,” Noah says. He glances sideways at Dan, meticulously placing circles of mozzarella on his own pizza. The corner of his mouth curls up. “He just knows who the weakest link is.”

Once the pizzas are in the oven, they sit around the table with their wine. Noah slides a hand onto Dan’s knee and squeezes. He still seems a little off, like Stacey’s “last” comment might have snuck under his skin and stayed. It’s not helped by Elena leaning her elbows on the table and saying, “So. Packing?”

Stacey’s head swivels to Dan, and they have a little exchange with their eyes. Noah squeezes his fingers again.

“Do we actually need to?” Stacey asks. “It’s going to be a while before you’re actually moving, right?”

“A couple of months, yeah.” Dan shrugs. “I just don’t know what other time we could all get together and do it, though.”

“You’re heading home after the Gala?” Elena asks Noah.

He doesn’t turn his head. “I fly back to Toronto on Sunday, yeah.”

“And when are you back?” Stacey asks. She keeps her tone light.

“I’m not completely sure, but sooner rather than later.” He chances a glance at Dan, whose face is so open and hopeful it hurts. “And I booked my LA concert this week.”

“Ooh,” Julia says, clapping her hands. “When is it? We need to save the date.”

“February 15th. I’ll actually be here the day before, too. But I’ll have that day off.”

Noah is sure Stacey is making a face, he can see her and Julia looking at each other out of the corner of his eyes. But his focus is on Dan, and the way the corners of his eyes crinkle as a smile spreads across his face.

“Well,” he says, voice so soft it makes something achy burn in Noah’s chest. “That’s something to look forward to.”

“You guys have shows coming up, too, right?” Stacey asks.

“We do. A few live shows, and then Noah’s got two big concerts in Toronto in November.”

“They’re not that big,” Noah says. Dan waves him off. His excitement about Noah’s Great Hall shows has been so sweet and encouraging.

The oven timer dings and Noah pushes to his feet, touching Dan’s shoulder to keep him in his seat. Noah’s gotten good at getting the pizza peel under the crusts, sliding the finished pizzas out and onto the cutting boards on the counter. It gives him a chance to gather himself, and a chance for Dan to confer quietly with his friends. The more they talk about their future schedules the bigger the achy thing gets in his chest.

Dan comes up behind him as he’s rinsing the peel in the sink, pizzas all out, steaming and bubbling on the counter. He presses a kiss to Noah’s shoulder, hand squeezing Noah’s hip.

“Oh my god, they all look so good!” Elena exclaims, and then everyone crowds into the kitchen to admire their finished work. Dan backs away, phone in hand to document their golden, gooey creations.

They eat at the table, refilling wine glasses and sharing slices, laughing around mouthfuls of crust and cheese. Noah steals a piece of tomato off of Dan’s pizza, and Dan gives him a mock glare. When he reaches out for Noah’s pizza, Noah snatches his plate away and smirks while everyone else laughs.

“Ganging up on me in my own home,” Dan cries. “Even my dog has betrayed me.”

Redmond, flopped down under Noah’s chair with his snout peaking out, twitches an ear in response. Noah drops a little piece of crust for him.

Noah offers to clear plates and no one argues. Redmond follows him into the kitchen and Stacey raises an eyebrow as she comes in to get another bottle of wine. “It’s just because you’re the weakest link, eh?”

“Get out of here, Farber.”

She cackles her way out with the wine. Noah can hear Dan and Elena giggling out on the deck. It doesn’t seem like any packing is actually going to get done, but that’s fine with him. That might be a little too much for how fragile he’s feeling.

There aren’t enough chairs for all of them outside. Stacey has gotten away with dragging an ottoman outside, something Dan would absolutely chide anyone else for. Noah posts up against the railing with Julia, even though Dan’s lap looks incredibly inviting. That level of PDA might be too much, even for this group.

“When are you all leaving tomorrow?” Julia asks. Stacey launches into the details of their travel plans, since she’ll be joining them. Noah is looking forward to seeing Annie and Emily and Sarah, who they’re meeting at the airport in the morning. But he’s sad that this will be the last night he gets to spend on this deck, at this house.

He pushes away from the railing, smiling for Dan when Dan glances his way, and pats his leg for Redmond before going out into the yard. He walks the perimeter, touching the leaves of the short, squat palms, smelling the jasmine, Redmond ambling along beside him. He stops to crouch and swish his fingers through the cool water of the pool, looking up at the deck where Stacey and Elena are still talking, and Dan watches Noah.

“Hey, Reid,” Stacey calls as Noah scuffs his bare toes through the grass. “Come back so we can say goodbye.”

“Goodbye?” Noah asks when he comes closer. “What about packing?”

“It can wait,” she says, and draws him in for a hug. “Or Dan can pay other people to do it.”

“But it’s early still,” he says. He doesn’t want to cut the night short just because he’s feeling melancholy.

“I have another thing to get to,” Julia says, kissing both of his cheeks, and then Dan’s.

“And my boyfriend is waiting for me,” Elena says. It sounds like an excuse.

“And we have a flight tomorrow,” Stacey concludes. That’s definitely an excuse, because their flight isn’t even that early. Noah narrows his eyes at her.

“We’ll see you in February?” Elena asks as Dan and Noah trail them to the door.

“Yeah, of course. I’d love to have you at the show.” She beams. Stacey gives Dan another hug and a wave, and then they’re gone. “I’m sorry,” Noah says as soon as the door is closed behind them. “I didn’t mean to drive them away.”

“No,” Dan says. He reaches out for Noah and Noah steps into him, lets Dan wrap his arms around Noah’s shoulders. Noah gives his neck a kiss before he tucks his face there. “It’s our last night, I don’t think they were planning on staying long anyway.”

They stand in the entryway, locked together for a minute. Dan sways them gently, unable to stand still even in an embrace. Noah takes a deep breath of Dan, and then untucks his face just enough to say, “I want to see your new house.”

“Right now?”

“Can we?”

Dan pulls back and searches Noah’s face. It’s dark out, they’ve had a lot of wine, it’s not the ideal time to ask. But Dan nods. “Yeah, of course. Let me get my keys.”

They have to find socks and get their shoes on, and Dan makes sure Redmond is set before he calls for a car. He holds Noah’s hand in the backseat, the streetlights flashing over his face as he stares out the window. The drive is short; the houses get bigger and the hills get closer, and soon they’re pulling up a winding road to a wrought iron gate, and the car stops.

The neighborhood is quiet and dark, the plants lush. The leaves of the olive and citrus trees are glossy in the dim lights that line the stairway behind the gate, and the house that rises up ahead of them is pale and imposing, windows reflecting the moon.

“Wow,” Noah breathes. It’s huge. He knew that, of course, but seeing it in pictures versus seeing it in real life, knowing that soon Dan will be living in this giant, stately structure, are two different things.

Dan fiddles with the latch of the gate and looks back over his shoulder. “Come on.”

The stairway up to the front door is stone, and zigzags just enough for Noah to be glad he isn’t more drunk. He still watches his feet carefully as he follows Dan up, and almost bumps into him when Dan stops to unlock the front door.

Noah can’t stop gaping around the foyer, turning circles to take it all in while Dan uses his phone’s flashlight to find a light switch that’s connected. The air is dusty and a couple of the doorways are draped with plastic sheeting, the smell of fresh paint and lumber hanging in the air. Dan’s having some of the floors redone, and the kitchen is completely gutted. It’s weird to see the walls totally bare when the house had been perfectly and ornately styled for the listing photos.

A light flicks on down the hall and Noah picks his jaw up off the beautifully tiled floor to follow it.

Dan’s in the dining room looking out the door to the backyard, a worklight that’s been installed overhead shining starkly on the built ins and the smudged glass.

“Holy shit, Dan,” Noah says. The room is chilly and austere, but Noah can already see some of Dan’s belongings fitting in here. He has no idea how much of his current furniture he’ll keep, how much new stuff he’ll have to buy to fill the space up, but he knows Dan will make it his own.

“Do you like it?” Dan doesn’t turn around, and Noah can hear the nerves in his voice. He fits himself to Dan’s back, arms going up around his chest. Dan hooks his hands over Noah’s forearms and tips his head onto Noah’s shoulder.

“It’s beautiful,” Noah says. Whatever feelings he has about the size of it, the newness of it, recedes as he stands there with Dan in his arms. The patio is shadowed, but the pool glints with moonlight, and Noah can just make out the hedges beyond, leaves ruffled by the breeze. He thinks about their swim earlier in the week, pressing Dan down into the grass with his water-slick body, and can picture them doing just that here in this yard. A bolt of arousal goes through him, shocking and hot, and his dick twitches against Dan’s ass.

“Is my house getting you hard?” There’s a lilt of teasing in Dan’s voice now, edging out the nervousness from before.

“Hmm, maybe.” Noah licks his lips and then presses them to Dan’s neck, just breathing warm there for a moment. “Your pool is, really. Thinking about what we could do in it.”

“Same rules apply here as at the other house, I’m afraid.”

“I seem to remember I found a pretty good loophole.”

“Ah, yes.” Dan shimmies back against Noah, and Noah gasps against Dan’s neck. “You did.” Then he bumps back harder, pulling Noah’s arms away from his chest. “Come on, you haven’t even seen a third of the place yet.”

Dan takes Noah’s hand and he can’t bring himself to argue when Dan looks so pleased and hopeful. He lets himself be led through each room, peaking around the plastic to see what’s being done in the kitchen, admiring the woodwork and the ceilings, listening to Dan explain the light fixtures he’s going to get and the flooring he chose. It makes Noah think of David explaining Rose Apothecary, and he can’t stop watching Dan gesture to the shelves and the walls, the railings and the doorknobs, describing all the ways he’s going to make this huge, cold space his home.

Upstairs are the bedrooms, and Dan gets a little smirk on his face when he draws Noah into the master bathroom. “I know you like my cozy shower at home, but think of what we can get up to in here,” he says, backing into the huge two person shower stall and tugging Noah along by the hand. Dan sets his phone screen-down on the floor so the flashlight shines up, and presses Noah back against the wall.

“This is quite spacious,” Noah says, spreading his arms out on either side of him. There’s still lots of room beyond his fingertips. Dan’s face looks weird in the uplighting, one side completely dark but for the glint of his eyes and his teeth, and Noah lets his own eyes slip closed as Dan comes in for a kiss.

Dan slides his hands along Noah’s outstretched arms, pressing into the crooks of his elbows and then again at his wrists before lacing their fingers together. The stretch brings their hips right up together, and Dan’s getting hard, too. It should be odd to be making out fully clothed in a dark shower but it’s somehow not, and with Dan stroking his tongue into Noah’s mouth, Noah almost forgets his own name—not to mention where they are and what they’re wearing.

Noah groans, just trying to keep up with the way Dan is moving his mouth and his hips, hands immobilized out at his sides. He digs his shoulders back into the wall to give him enough leverage to grind against Dan, and then Dan gives his lower lip a sharp nip and backs away, releasing his hands.

“What,” Noah says, lips tingling and arms falling limply at his sides. He blinks as the light moves, Dan scooping his phone up off the floor.

“The tour isn’t done.” His voice is deceptively level, but rough enough that Noah can tell he’s not as unaffected by their kiss as he’s trying to seem.

“Tell me some of the bedrooms are carpeted,” Noah says. He’s so worked up just from that brief time in the shower stall that he’d go to his knees on the tile, but if they can find somewhere more comfortable that would be better.

“Nope,” Dan says. “All hardwood.” He squeezes Noah’s fingers hard as he leads him out into the hallway, clearly expecting Noah to make a terrible pun. Noah presses his lips together and tries to pay attention as Dan continues his narration about the house.

They end their tour in the bedroom in the lower level, and Noah waits until Dan says, “And that’s it.” Then he crowds him up against a wall. There’s just enough moonlight coming in through the window for Noah to catch the slanted edge of Dan’s smile. He captures it with his lips, coaxes it open.

“If you had a plan for christening your new place, you better tell me now,” Noah says, sliding his mouth across Dan’s cheek to his neck.

“I sort of thought we’d start in the master bedroom, but that’s a lot of stairs.”

“Guest bedroom it is.”

Noah drops to his knees. His thighs still twinge where he has stubble burn from the night before, and that makes him even harder in his jeans. Dan’s in a similar state, bulge clearly visible even in the dim light. Noah fits his mouth around it and breathes.

“Don’t,” Dan groans, batting at Noah’s forehead with his fingertips. “I can’t have a wet spot in the car on the way back.”

Noah chuckles, rubbing his lips back and forth before backing away. “Your shirt is long enough to hide it.” He can’t see the look on Dan’s face, but he’s sure it’s as close to a glare as he can muster. “I’ll be good,” he says. “I promise.”

Dan fits his fingers to the underside of Noah’s jaw. “I’m sure you will be.”

The pants Dan is wearing are his favorite comfy Prada pants, and it’s easy to work them and his underwear down just enough to free his cock. Dan hisses when Noah gives it a quick lick, just a strong, wet swipe across the head, before he tips his head back and opens his mouth, laying his tongue on his lower lip.

For a moment, Noah isn’t sure Dan can see well enough to get the hint, but then he takes himself in hand and rubs the head of his dick over Noah’s tongue. Noah’s eyes slip closed, heat and salt and the taste of precome spreading through his mouth. Saliva pools in his cheeks, and he lets a little of it slip down his tongue, rubbing it into the underside of Dan’s cock before Dan moves it away.

“Fuck,” Dan says, and splays his other hand on top of Noah’s head. He pinches hair between his fingers, sliding back to get a better grip. Then he pushes his cock into Noah’s mouth again, holding Noah’s head still.

Noah throbs in his jeans, but he’s too distracted by the feel of Dan nudging the back of his throat and then pulling back to do anything about it. He presses his palms to Dan’s thighs instead, fingers squeezing the muscles.

Dan keeps the pace slow to start and doesn’t push too far. He keeps one hand around the base of his cock and guides it over Noah’s tongue, rocking in and out smoothly. Noah hollows his cheeks but doesn’t do much else, letting Dan take his pleasure from Noah’s mouth. Dan’s getting louder and louder, and through the haze in his brain Noah thinks that this could be how he is from now on, with no close neighbors to worry about. When he loosens his grip to only a couple of fingers and pushes all the way in, pressing into Noah’s open throat, he cries out so loud it reverberates through the room, through Noah, and makes Noah gasp. His throat constricts, and Dan bucks forward sharply then pulls back, letting Noah cough and get his breath.

“Sorry,” Dan says. He pets the back of Noah’s head.

“No,” Noah says, voice scratching through his throat. He swallows a couple of times to lubricate it, then tries again. “No, it’s good. Come back.” He opens his mouth, relaxes his throat again. Dan guides himself in again and pushes forward, until Noah’s nose touches Dan’s pubes and he has to blink rapidly against the sting in his eyes.

The stretch in his throat is so good, and his lungs burn. He doesn’t try to pull back at all, but Dan knows exactly how long he can hold Noah there before he draws away, and Noah drags in breath through his nose.

Dan holds Noah’s jaw in his hand, petting his sparse stubble with his thumb. “Your mouth,” he says, awe in his voice. Noah puts his tongue out further to taste the glistening wet tip of Dan’s cock. “God, Noah.” He dips back inside, pulling Noah’s mouth open wider, and just rubs his dick over Noah’s tongue. “Fuck.”

Noah gets his hands around the back of Dan’s thighs and tugs, and Dan slides back in, lets Noah tighten his lips and work his tongue along the underside of his dick. Dan still sets the pace, but he’s controlling less of what Noah’s allowed to do, so Noah bobs his head in rhythm with Dan’s hips, sucking harder and digging his fingers into Dan’s thighs. Dan is panting harshly, groaning almost constantly, the sound coming from deep in his chest and filling up the darkness around them. Noah circles his hips to get some friction against his own aching dick, spreading his knees on the hard floor.

“That’s it, that’s it, that’s it,” Dan chants, holding Noah close for a longer moment before pulling back and giving a few short, quick thrusts. Then he lets go of Noah’s jaw to take hold of his cock, holding it with just the tip inside Noah’s mouth. Noah opens wide, blinks up at Dan as Dan strokes a few times before throbbing against Noah’s tongue. He manages to keep all of his come in Noah’s mouth, catching a tiny bit that tries to escape at the corner and pushing it inside with his thumb. His moan is long and loud and trying to be Noah’s name, and he presses all the way back into Noah’s mouth before pulling away with a shudder.

Noah swallows sporadically, swiping the back of his hand against his chin to make sure he’s not dripping anywhere, and then attacks the fly of his own pants. “Sweet Jesus,” he sighs when he’s free, wrapping his fingers around his dick and squeezing.

“Wait, get up, let me,” Dan says, pinching at Noah’s shoulders. Noah struggles to his feet, calves sore and thighs burning, and lets Dan turn him against the wall. Dan goes to his knees and wastes no time sucking Noah down, and Noah shouts, driving a hand into Dan’s hair.

“Dan, fuck, I’m not going to last,” he says, and Dan doubles his pace, hands gripped hard around Noah’s hips. Noah’s head thunks back against the wall as he comes, pleasure slamming through him.

Dan gets to his feet while Noah’s still shivering through aftershocks and grabs Noah’s face in his hands, sealing their mouths together. Noah tries to kiss back as well as he can, but he’s still shaky and out-of-it, and his mouth feels bruised. Dan’s grip on Noah’s jaw gentles, fingers sliding back into his hair, palms cupping his ears as he softens the kiss before breaking it.

“Holy shit,” he says reverently. Noah can just see the crinkle of his eyes in the moonlight. Noah chuckles, his voice still rough from the blowjob.

“Yeah,” he agrees, and the rasp of it makes Dan press in for another kiss.

“I think the new house has been properly christened.”

“Please,” Noah says, wrapping his arms around Dan’s waist. “That’s just the beginning. There’s a lot of rooms in this place.”

Dan laughs, gives Noah another peck. “Let’s sort ourselves out and go back.”

They somehow managed to keep their clothing clean and dry, so they’re presentable when their car arrives. They hold hands in the backseat again, and Noah can feel his limbs getting heavier and heavier with satisfaction and exhaustion. It takes some effort to drag themselves out of the car and into the house, and Noah’s facedown in the pillows when Dan comes into the bedroom after letting Redmond out and locking everything up.

It’s their last night, and Noah tries to keep his eyes pried open while Dan putters around, moving in and out of Noah’s sight as he undresses and plugs in their phones and then finally lifts the blankets to get into bed.

Wordlessly they move together, limbs slotting into place, fingers twining on top of Dan’s stomach. Noah tucks his face into Dan’s neck, breathes in the faded sweet spice of his cologne.

“I don’t want this week to be over,” Dan says. His voice is raw, and Noah feels it all the way in the pit of his stomach.

“Me neither,” Noah says.

Dan squeezes their fingers together as his deep breath expands his stomach. “It’s been a really great week.”

“It has.”

There’s a moment where Noah thinks Dan’s leaving it there, that they’ll both drift off with pangs in their chest, but then Dan turns his head and presses a kiss to Noah’s forehead. “But I know that we have more of this to look forward to, wherever and whenever it might be. We’ll be okay.”

Noah breathes through the lump that rises in his throat, exhaling across Dan’s collarbones. He puts all his confidence in _them_ behind his voice when he says, “We will.”

Dan nods, chin brushing Noah’s temple, and then settles himself fully on the mattress. Noah keeps breathing against his neck, letting his eyes slip closed. It’s the last night of this week, but it’s not the last night by a long shot. They will be okay.


	6. Saturday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _stay don’t leave  
>  cuz i got a couple  
> old memories  
> that float in a bubble  
> and they’ve stayed with me  
> through oceans and puddles   
> so patiently  
> just waitin for trouble  
> just waitin and waitin and oh_  
> \- “Apollo,” Noah Reid

When the alarm goes off, Noah registers a few things before his eyes are even all the way open. First thing: he’s drooling a little on his pillow. Second thing: the covers are gone. Third thing: Dan is already awake and pressed against his back. He’s got one arm around Noah’s middle, hand under Noah’s shirt, fingers teasing the waistband of Noah’s sleep pants, and he’s kissing the nape of Noah’s neck.

Noah hums, wiping his mouth on the shoulder of his shirt as he cranes his neck to try to get a glimpse of Dan’s face. All he can really see is a wild tuft of hair, the tip of one ear, and an eyebrow. The eyebrow bounces when Dan realizes Noah is awake, and Noah feels a sneak of tongue against his skin.

“Good morning,” Noah says. Or, more appropriately, tries to say. His throat is still a little raw, and that combined with usual morning raspiness makes his voice little more than a croak.

Dan groans against Noah’s hairline. “God, you sound wrecked.”

“You wrecked me pretty good,” Noah says, after clearing his throat a few times. He still sounds gravelly, but it’s kind of sexy even to his own ears. Maybe it’s because of the way he woke up, Dan hard against his ass and his hand slipping further into Noah’s pants. “How long have you been up and groping me?”

“Just a few minutes. You complaining?”

“My feet are cold,” Noah says, just to be a shit. He rubs one up Dan’s calf and Dan huffs.

“I’m trying to warm you up.”

“Try harder.”

Dan accepts the challenge, finally getting his hand all the way into Noah’s pants. He opens his mouth against Noah’s neck, right where his shirt collar is pulled sideways, scraping his teeth just enough to send a little shiver down Noah’s spine. He cups Noah’s cock, not circling it all the way or even moving, just holding it against Noah’s lower belly.

“Well, that’s one part of me that’s warmer,” Noah says, and gets himself an actual bite in retaliation. Noah sucks in a breath through his teeth, stretching his neck against the sting.

“I was going to ask you to take your pants off, but if you’re cold …” Dan trails off, licks where he just bit, then up to Noah’s earlobe. He takes that between his teeth and tugs, and Noah feels it in his dick, thickening under Dan’s palm.

Noah shifts against the bed, turns himself more fully into the crook of Dan’s body. Dan adjusts, lips sliding back down Noah’s neck, fingers tightening around Noah’s cock. He wants to tease more, but the drag of his sleep pants between his thighs as he moved gives him an idea, and now he really does want them off.

“Help me out,” he says, wiggling as he pushes at the waistband. It’s an awkward shuffle, as Dan tries to assist without taking his hand or his mouth off of Noah, but they eventually get them down far enough that Noah can use his toes and get them all the way off, kicking them down to join the blankets on the floor. Then he reaches back for Dan’s. “You too.”

After another awkward shuffle, Dan is back in his space, warmth spreading down Noah’s spine. “What do you want?” Dan asks. He gives Noah a slow, snug stroke and a wet kiss to his neck.

Noah lifts his leg in response, stretching out his hip a bit before settling his knee back over Dan’s thigh, foot tucked behind Dan’s calf. He won’t be able to hold this position for long, but thankfully he won’t have to, if Dan picks up on what he wants quick enough. Noah reaches down between his legs, curling his body forward so he can get his fingertips on Dan’s balls, feeling his way to the base of Dan’s cock, nestled up against Noah’s ass. He makes a beckoning sort of motion against the side of it, and Dan’s resulting gasp is one of acknowledgment.

As soon as Dan moves into position, his dick lined up behind Noah’s balls, Noah brings his thigh back down.

“We need the lube,” Dan says, mouth at Noah’s ear. “Can you reach it?”

Noah can, and he coats his fingers before working them between his thighs to spread it around. Dan grunts as Noah clumsily rubs the head of his cock, bucking forward with a delicious drag. The insides of Noah’s thighs are still tender, and the friction tingles all along his nerve endings.

“Oh,” he breathes, getting more lube for himself. Dan’s sliding back and forth between his legs with just enough wet to ease the way, and Noah doesn’t want to get things too slick and not feel the sting as Dan moves.

In all the rearranging, Dan’s hand moved to Noah’s hip, so Noah gets his lubed up fingers around himself, stroking up and down, grip tight. He tips his head back, bumping Dan’s chin, nudging his temple under the point of Dan’s jaw. He lifts his free hand to scruff through the messy strands of Dan’s hair.

“Does that feel good?” He can feel when Dan nods, and tenses his thigh muscles to give Dan a tighter space to work in. Dan gasps, fingers pressing into Noah’s hipbone.

The sunlight filling the room is thin, but they’re moving together enough to make the room feel warm. The bed quietly creaking is drowned out by their ragged breathing and the filthy sounds of Dan thrusting between Noah’s thighs, Noah’s hand on his own cock.

It’s not difficult to tell when Dan is getting close, the motion of his hips getting jerkier, more erratic, his grip on Noah’s hip so tight it’s almost painful. The sting there adds to the heat that twists in Noah’s belly, and he jerks himself faster.

Dan cries out, pushing forward as far as he can go, and Noah squeezes his legs together so he can feel when Dan comes between them. Then he lets go of his dick and slides his fingers down to feel even better, to slip through the mess of come and lube coating the burning hot insides of his thighs. He brushes the tip of Dan’s cock, and Dan hisses, body rolling through an aftershock against Noah’s.

“Fuck, fuck, Noah,” Dan pants, grinding into Noah before pulling himself back enough to slip free. Noah rubs his thighs together with his fingers still between them, and then gets his hand back around his dick. Dan fumbles around until he can link his fingers with Noah’s, letting Noah guide them up and down at his preferred pace. “Fuck,” Dan repeats, and he bumps a kiss against Noah’s cheek.

“Was that, _ah, god_ , was that good for you?” Noah wishes he could get his mouth on Dan’s, but at this angle the best he can do is clumsily nuzzling his cheek. Dan leans into it, and then takes over the rhythm of jerking Noah off as Noah starts to lose his coordination and Dan regains some of his.

“It was so good. You felt incredible. I want you to come now, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Noah chants, hips moving of their own accord, fucking up into their intertwined fingers. As his orgasm rockets through him, Dan moves their hands up to circle the head of Noah’s cock, getting their fingers even messier. Then he drags them back down, and up again, until Noah is trembling with oversensitivity. “Stop,” he chokes out, half-laughing, and extracts his fingers. Dan lets go too, and his hand sort of hovers in front of Noah, like he doesn’t know what to do with it now.

Noah grabs Dan’s wrist and brings his hand to Noah’s chest. He makes Dan press his sticky palm right to Noah’s sternum, and Dan wrinkles his nose so forcefully Noah can feel it against the back of his head.

“God, you’re gross,” Dan says. He definitely doesn’t sound like he means it. “Come on, we have to shower and get ready.”

And pack. To leave. Noah closes his eyes, takes as deep a breath as he can manage while still coming down from a pretty incredible orgasm. He doesn’t want to harsh his endorphin high with sad thoughts of leaving, so he focuses on the first thing Dan said.

“I’ll race you.”

They behave themselves in the shower, because they spent too long in bed. Or not long enough, depending on how you look at it. Either way, they don’t have much time before people start showing up and they need to be presentable and ready to go. Stacey will be there any minute with a car to pick them up. Noah already has six texts from Emily about what time they’re meeting at the airport.

Noah leaves Dan in the bathroom with a quick, off-center kiss, already noticing the change in his demeanor. He’s distracted, stiffer in the spine than Noah’s seen him in days. Noah stops in the bedroom and looks back, catching the furrow of Dan’s brow in the still steamy mirror.

Then he turns away, squares his shoulders, and starts gathering his things.

It takes three laps of the house to make sure he hasn’t forgotten anything. He picks up his lighter from the coffee table, straightening the pile of books there until they look artfully arranged in the way that Dan likes them. He stops to take stock of the room, initially to see if there’s anything else he’s missed, but it turns into something else entirely.

This is the last time he’ll see this house. 

The next time he’s in LA, Dan will be in the new place, with new furniture arranged in new ways. Who knows where that pile of coffee table books will end up, or if they’ll still be the landing pad for various remotes. The MTV Award sitting on the side table might have its own shelf, and maybe company as Dan starts winning more. Noah doesn’t even know if the side table is making the move. Or the couch, which Noah leans against now, touching the cushions where they’d spent so much time this week. 

He wanders through the other rooms, sadness swelling behind his sternum, and touches the edge of Dan’s desk, the backs of the dining room chairs, the frame of the receipt from Rose Apothecary. What place will that get in the new house?

When he gets back into the bedroom, clutching the random stuff he’d found in each room that he needs to repack, Dan has his overnight bag open on the bed, half full of impeccably folded and organized items. He’s tucking underwear in, wearing another pair of his favorite Prada pants and a white tee. 

“Get everything?” He asks. There’s something in his voice that hooks behind Noah’s ribs, drawing him forward until he’s got his arms around Dan’s waist. Dan tucks his face into Noah’s neck, all of him still warm from the shower and smelling like sweet tobacco.

“We don’t have time for this,” Dan says, lips moving against Noah’s shoulder. 

“I know, but we need it,” Noah says. He rubs his hands up and down Dan’s back, and Dan curls further into him. “This week—god, Dan.” He has to breathe through his nose a couple of times until he’s composed enough, both in thoughts and in emotions, to say what he wants to say. “This week was incredible. Being able to have this time with you, in this place … you know I have complicated feelings about LA.”

Dan gives one of his wet, choking chuckles, nodding against Noah’s neck. He’s heard a rough draft of the song Noah wrote about this city, he definitely knows. Noah can’t help but grin, and he presses it to Dan’s carefully styled hair.

“Let’s just say those feelings have changed slightly in this last week. I think—” he takes another deep breath, fortifying himself with the smell of Dan, the feel of him in his arms “—I think if you’re here, in this city, then it could feel like home. At least part time. And that’s a really good feeling.”

Dan pulls his head back, and the combination of his bright smile and shining eyes is too much for Noah. He has to close his own eyes, letting Dan find his way to Noah’s mouth.

This kiss feels as complicated and fraught as the moment does, Dan’s fingers pressed so tightly to Noah’s back that they hurt, Noah holding him just as tightly. When they break apart there are tear tracks on Dan’s cheeks. Noah touches his lips to one, and then the other.

“Happy tears?” Noah asks, and Dan nods.

“Yours?”

“A little bit sad, too.” Dan tilts his head in question. “I’m going to miss this house.”

Noah can actually see that statement move through Dan, track the changes in his face and the feel of his body in Noah’s arms. He melts, just a little, and twists his mouth to the side, biting the inside of his cheek in that way he does when he’s thinking of what to say.

“But the new house will have a piano,” is what Dan eventually goes with, and it’s perfect. It makes Noah laugh, and it warms his heart. 

“Good point.”

It’s easier then, to pull away, to continue packing. Dan seems lighter too, moving around the room, around Noah, brushing his hand across Noah’s back as he crosses back and forth. Their eyes keep catching and holding, and Noah smiles to himself as he shoves shirts aside to make room for rolled up jeans and his dry swim trunks. He goes back into the bathroom to gather his toiletries, the shampoo he never used and the sunscreen that’s almost gone. Before he starts loading bottles into his bag, he pulls out the rings, lets them roll around in his palm, and then tucks them into his pocket next to his notebook. He won’t be wearing them, but he wants them close.

The doorbell rings just as Dan’s zipping his bag closed. That’ll be Stacey, ready for them. Dan grabs the handles of his bag and shoulders it, touching Noah’s shoulder briefly before heading out to greet her. He has to get Redmond into his vest and harness for the car ride and the flight, as well. Noah gets his suitcase closed and then looks around the room.

They’d stripped the bed for the cleaning service, and it looks sad and bare without all the blankets and pillows. The nightstands are clear of books and watches and all the other random stuff that had gathered there throughout the week. Noah peeks into the little bowl on Dan’s side and notices the other two rings are gone.

He slides his hand into his pocket and touches the cool, flat surface of his rings with his fingers. Then he bids goodbye to the bedroom they’d shared for the week, and off and on for years before that.

Stacey has already picked up on the vibe, and she grabs him for a hug as soon as he emerges into the living room. Red is sitting calmly and patiently while Dan clicks him into his harness and vest, and Noah feels a lump form in his throat as Stacey pats his back.

“Ready?” she asks. Noah glances at Dan, standing now with Red’s leash in his hand, lips pressed together. 

“Yeah,” he says, giving the living room one final glance before following her out the door.

Stacey lets them have the backseat, sitting up front and chattering away to the driver to keep him occupied. She’s the absolute best. Noah almost cranes his neck to get a last look at the front door, the palms and the little cracked sidewalk, but he turns his head to Dan instead.

“Good?” Dan asks, voice quiet. He has Red on his lap, front paws up on the door so he can look fully out the window. His hand lays on the seat between them, palm up, like he’s just waiting for Noah to make his move.

Noah does, sliding his fingers between Dan’s and then curling them. “I’m going to miss it,” he says. Dan squeezes his hand.

“It’s going to miss you.”

They smile at each other for what feels like the whole ride to the airport.

Once they get there it feels like everything goes into fast-forward. There’s a flurry of greeting everyone, Annie and Emily and Sarah wanting hugs and kisses and to hear about their week, taking turns crouching down to give Redmond head scratches. Dan’s in showrunner mode, corralling their rowdy bunch through security and to their gate, pointing when he can’t get Sarah and Stacey to stop talking, curling his arm through Emily’s when she doesn’t pay attention to where he’s pointing. Noah has Redmond’s leash, following the crowd, watching quietly as Dan fits easily into the center of everyone’s orbit. 

They don’t sit next to each other on the plane, because Dan always flies with Emily, attempting to soothe her nerves. Noah lets Stacey have the seat across the aisle, and he sits behind her with Annie at the window. Dan looks back over his shoulder as Noah is putting his earbuds in, giving Noah one of his small, private smiles. Noah winks back. At his elbow, Annie snorts.

“What?”

“You’ve been attached at the hip all week,” she says, keeping her voice down and leaning close. “I’m surprised you didn’t fight Em for her seat.”

“I think I can survive a 90 minute flight.”

“Proud of ya,” she quips. He shakes his head. “Seriously though, did you have a good week?”

“The best.”

“Ew. Keep it in your pants, Reid.”

“You asked!”

“No, I know, I’m happy for you.” She touches his arm, face abnormally serious. “I am, though. You guys deserve it. Did you, you know.” She waves a hand around, wrist going slightly Alexis. “Figure shit out?”

Noah watches Dan lean close to Emily as the plane taxis for takeoff, hand wrapped tight in Redmonds leash. He touches his pocket, where the bulge of his notebook obscures the rings. He can feel them pressing against his thigh. He smiles.

“I think so.”

Annie gives his biceps a light punch, and then settles back into her seat. Noah cues up a good playlist on his phone and closes his eyes.

The hours after they land are an odd mix of rushing and sitting around waiting. Annie and Emily and Noah take one car from the airport so they can go over their speech, leaving Dan and Sarah and Stacey to take the other. They read through it a couple of times together, until Noah feels comfortable. They’ll have a teleprompter if they need it, which Annie reminds Emily every time she stumbles over a line. The nerves are starting to buzz under Noah’s skin, exhilaration and anxiety in equal measure.

They check into their hotel and split up for just a few moments before they have to meet again to get ready. Noah follows Dan out of the elevator and into one of the rooms, waiting just until the door is closed to grab him by the sleeve and pull him close.

“We still don’t have time,” Dan says, but he slides his hands under Noah’s shirt anyway. Noah kisses under Dan’s ear, then up to his cheek, and finally slots their mouths together. Dan sighs into the kiss, and his nails scrape lightly in the small of Noah’s back. 

Then there’s a knock on the door. “Dudes, we have people waiting for us!” Annie yells from the other side. 

“Right,” Dan says, forehead tilted against Noah’s. He pulls his hands free and backs up. “Right,” he says again, and then louder at the door, “Be right there!”

They all get ready together, switching between the bathroom of a suite and a makeshift makeup station like they’ve been choreographed. It feels like old hat to Noah even though they’ve only done it a couple of times, and he sits patiently and lets himself be powdered down for the camera flashes and stage lights. He changes into his suit pants and shirt, leaving his jacket for the last minute so he doesn’t sweat too badly. At the last minute he digs in his jeans pocket and pulls out the rings, tucking them into his pants pocket. 

Emily is the last one to get into her suit, Sarah getting the finishing touches put on her makeup. Annie and Stacey are perched on the edge of one bed, trying not to get too wrinkled, and Dan is pacing, fully dressed and styled, scrolling through his phone and mouthing to himself, likely practicing his speech. He looks gorgeous. Everyone does, of course, all the women in their suits with their hair perfectly shiny, but Noah only has eyes for Dan.

“Good?” he asks quietly, lightly touching Dan’s elbow to halt him mid-lap. Dan locks his phone screen and purses his lips.

“Nervous,” Dan says.

“Me too.”

“Are you nervous because you’re going to cry in front of everyone?” Annie pipes up. Dan rolls his eyes but starts to grin under the familiar needling. Noah gives his arm one last squeeze and leaves them to their sibling-like bickering.

The whole event is in the same hotel, so they only have an elevator ride between them and the carpet. They all cram in together, and Noah situates himself right next to Dan, hidden safely away behind a wall of their friends, and takes his hand. He fits their laced fingers into his pocket, wiggling until Dan can feel the rings there. Dan’s eyes go wide and his smile slides to the side. Then he tugs their hands free and presses them to the front of his own pants where Noah can feel two small circles through the thin fabric. They grin at each other until the elevator dings, and then they let go of each other to be whisked out into the din.

Walking a carpet at an event is one of Noah’s least favorite things, but he tries to relax into it as they walk and stop, pose, smile, and repeat. It’s a small carpet, thankfully much less intimidating than others he’s had to walk, and everyone is in a great mood. Dan is being treated like royalty, which warms Noah more than the bright lights, and he reaches out for Noah at every single stop. They all take a million photos, together and separate, and Noah hangs with Stacey and the publicists while Dan poses with Sarah, with Annie, with Emily, with other attendees and GLAAD staff.

“You gonna be able to control that face of yours at all?” Stacey asks. Noah doesn’t take his eyes off of Dan.

“Nah. Not even going to try.”

She laughs, and tucks her hand into the crook of his elbow. “Good.”

After the carpet they’re ushered into the ballroom where the ceremony is being held, and find their table. Dan has to make a round of the room with their publicist, and he takes Stacey along so she can meet everyone. Noah stays back with Annie and Emily and Sarah, taking advantage of the cocktail hour. Dan slips into his seat next to Noah just as salads are being served, and touches Noah’s knee under the table. He blows an exaggerated breath through his lips, and Noah laughs.

They clap and cheer through the opening number, and before Noah knows it, Peppermint is announcing Dan’s award. Under cover of the tablecloth Noah squeezes Dan’s thigh, and then pushes his chair back to stand. Annie and Emily lead the way onto the stage, to their places under the lights, looking out at the expectant faces of an entire ballroom turned up to them.

Annie starts things out, and she’s easy and breezy in her Annie way, while Noah feels sweat dripping from his collar down to the waistband of his pants. Emily steps forward when it’s her turn, getting through her first portion with barely a hitch. And then Noah’s up. His first line is a joke, and he just hopes he’s able to deliver it appropriately.

“I play his hyper-capable, unassumingly sexy partner in business and love, Patrick.” It lands nicely, a warm wave of applause and laughter meeting him and calming some of his nerves. He can just see Dan’s face, partially shadowed by the lights, and he focuses as much there as he can as he continues with his portion of the speech. He slides his hands into his pockets, because he never knows what to do with them otherwise, and as soon as he feels the rings, he calms down even further. They manage to make everyone, including themselves, laugh quite a bit as they rotate positions at the mic again, and then Emily is calling Dan to the stage.

The cheering gets even louder as Dan makes his way up. He’s beaming, the roses on his shirt sparkling under the lights, and behind him the audience rises in a standing ovation. Noah feels his breath hitch, emotion clogging his throat. Dan hugs Annie first, and then he’s in front of Noah. He comes in for a hug, and without thinking Noah goes for a neck kiss, but checks himself just in time to catch the corner of his jaw instead. He thinks he recovered enough to make it look normal, just a proud buddy giving his pal a congratulatory kiss on the cheek, but the look Emily shoots him as Dan steps up to the mic tells him otherwise.

It’s something he’ll have to worry about later, because he has to try to school his face as Dan gives his speech. He starts with a little self-deprecation, claiming that they were all contractually obligated to show up and say nice things about Dan, and just as they’re all laughing it off Dan says Noah’s name.

He turns, and Noah braces himself. He has no idea what’s coming, and he’s tempted to glance at the teleprompter. But he can’t look away from Dan. He only briefly meets Noah’s eyes and then he himself turns back to the teleprompter, as if he’s worried he won’t remember what he wrote down to say. Noah stares instead at the back of Dan’s head as he talks about Patrick, not even absorbing the words. 

Dan’s speech is eloquent, funny, and heart-wrenching. Everything Noah expected it to be. It’s a rollercoaster for Noah, the opening story about Dan falling in love with his best friend and not being able to act on it publicly piercing him right in the heart, switching over to anger at Dan’s high school bullies, and finally tearing up when Dan talked about his family. The overwhelming pride and love that rises in him is probably shining right out of his face, but he can’t even bring himself to care.

As soon as the speech is over, and the audience stands again, yelling and clapping, Dan turns to them with his award clutched in his hands. He makes a helpless face, body bobbing on bent knees, and they gather around him, arms overlapping in a group hug.

“I need to eat,” Dan hollers into their ears, and they all laugh. Noah touches Dan’s wrist, a quick slip of his fingers against the starched cuff of his shirt, and they share a smile. Then they herd off the stage and back to their table.

Dan goes straight for his salad, and then gratefully accepts a dinner plate from their server. Under the table, his leg is pressed solidly against Noah’s from thigh to ankle. Noah wishes he could kiss Dan, especially in this room, especially after that speech. He contents himself with slinging his arm over the back of Dan’s chair as casually as he can, refilling Dan’s water glass while Dan cuts his chicken, and smiling at the side of Dan’s face as he chats with the well wishers who stop by in between presentations.

The whole ceremony is a blast, but Noah’s starting to flag. They still have to rewalk the carpet and put in an appearance at the afterparty, but Noah is really looking forward to getting Dan back in the hotel room alone. 

“Doing alright?” Annie asks from his other side. Noah blinks. “You were starting to zone out.”

“Just tired.”

“Mmhm,” she says, eyes bugging out in Alexis fashion. “Ready for this all to be over, I’m sure.”

Her tone is laced with innuendo, and even though she hit the mark pretty solidly he still shakes his head. But since he won’t see her or Emily for a while either, he tries to make the most of the rest of their night.

Thankfully no one seems terribly interested in staying out too late. Emily is the first to drop, as is standard. She makes no excuses either, just states that she’s leaving and then does. Annie and Sarah are next, walking out arm in arm. Stacey throws back a drink and then yawns hugely, and Dan follows suit.

“I’m calling it,” Stacey yells over the DJ. “You guys staying?”

Dan turns to Noah and his eyes search Noah’s face. Noah shrugs. “It’s your night.”

“Let’s head up.”

They have the elevator to themselves, so Noah slides his arm around Dan’s waist. His shirt is rumpled in back from the chairs, and he’s a little sweaty. He smiles at Noah, and just over his shoulder Noah can see Stacey reining in her own grin.

“Wait until I’m gone at least, please,” she says, rolling her eyes. Dan leans in for a kiss, laughing into it, and Noah reciprocates as Stacey makes retching noises.

She flips them both off as soon as the elevator doors open, and then makes a beeline for her room down the hall. “See you in the morning,” she calls back over her shoulder.

“Good night,” they call back. Then Noah plucks their room key out of his jacket pocket and leads Dan to their door.

Redmond dances around their feet as soon as they’re inside. “I know, I know, we’re going to go outside, just hang on,” Dan says, reaching for Noah. He pulls him close, kissing him once before tucking his face against Noah’s shoulder. “Thank you,” he says, voice muffled by Noah’s suit jacket.

“For what?” Noah shuffles sideways as Redmond presses against his calf. “No, never mind, hold that thought, you really need to take this guy out.”

“I know.” Dan pulls away. He’s suspiciously flushed, his eyes wet. Noah brushes a hand over his hair as he crouches down to clip on Redmond’s leash. “When I get back,” Dan says, straightening up, following Redmond to the door.

Noah divests himself of his suit while he waits, splashing his face with water to get some of the makeup and sweat off. He sits on the end of the bed in his t-shirt and sleep pants and waits for Dan and Red to return.

As soon as they do, Redmond stands on his back paws in front of Noah, bracing himself on Noah’s knees to get some head scratches. Noah runs Red’s silky ear fur between his fingers and watches Dan toe out of his shoes. Then Dan drops down next to Noah on the bed and wraps his arms around Noah’s middle, head going right into the crook of Noah’s neck.

“You okay?” He takes one hand off of Redmond so he can curl it up around the back of Dan’s head.

“Yep. Just—” Dan sighs, breath gusting across Noah’s throat. “Wrung out.”

“That was a rollercoaster.” Noah pets the neatly shorn edge of Dan’s hair. “Your speech was beautiful.”

“Mine. My god.” His arms squeeze tighter around Noah, and Redmond backs away to find a good spot to curl up in. Noah turns in Dan’s arms, tucking his other arm around Dan’s back. “Noah,” Dan says, lips moving against Noah’s skin. Noah waits him out, but he doesn’t finish his thought, instead opening his mouth and giving Noah’s neck a gentle bite.

Noah gasps, a sharp burst of sensation prickling the hair along his arms. Dan licks over the spot, and Noah tightens his hand on the back of Dan’s head.

“Don’t you want to get out of these clothes, hang them up, before we get them all messy?”

“Oh, are you planning on getting messy?” Dan asks, right up under Noah’s jaw, before biting the edge of it. 

“I mean,” Noah starts, then breaks off to gasp when Dan bites him again. “Wrinkled at the very least.”

“I’m already wrinkled,” Dan says. Noah slides his hand down from Dan’s neck, gets a handful of his shirt and twists. “Hey!” He pulls back, indignant smirk in place. “Okay, fine.”

Noah helps Dan unbutton the shirt, but leaves him to hang everything up on his own. While Dan undresses Noah shuffles back on the mattress until he’s propped up against the headboard. He tugs his t-shirt over his head and tosses it onto the floor, but he doesn’t have time to skim off his pants before Dan is crawling up over him, gloriously naked. Noah reaches up to take off Dan’s glasses, folding the arms in and leaning over to set them on the nightstand, and Dan takes the opportunity to get back under Noah’s jaw with his teeth and tongue.

“You looked so good tonight,” Dan says, breath hot in Noah’s ear.

“You did too. I could barely keep my hands to myself.”

“Why bother?” Dan sits back on his heels, thighs bracketing Noah’s. He props his hands on his hips, twisting his mouth to one side. “You kissed me in front of everyone.”

“I … I did.” Noah reaches out to grab Dan’s wrists, pulling forward until Dan has to flatten his hands on Noah’s chest to brace himself. “I wanted to kiss you here,” Noah says, leaning up to put his mouth in his favorite spot on Dan’s neck. “But I stopped myself at the last minute.”

“Good thing,” Dan says, voice almost a purr as he tilts his head to give Noah’s mouth more room to work. “Otherwise I would have been very distracted from my speech.”

“That would have been a shame. It really was beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Dan puts his arms around Noah’s shoulders, holding him so tightly Noah can’t move, other than to cling right back. “I mean it. Thank you, Noah. For being here, for making all of this possible, for saying those things. For everything.”

Noah lets himself be held, and then pulls Dan away so he can look him in the eyes. “Thank you, too, for all of that.”

Dan’s eyes flick back and forth between Noah’s for a moment before they flutter shut, and he leans in for a kiss.

Everything, from the warmth of Dan’s mouth to his muscles flexing under Noah’s fingers to the sound of their breathing in the quiet room, everything makes Noah’s insides feel too big for his body. He pulls Dan closer, reveling in the way Dan’s thighs tense on either side of Noah’s, the way Dan angles his head to deepen the kiss. Noah opens his mouth and lets himself be kissed.

“Why are you still wearing pants?” Dan asks against Noah’s lips. He starts pushing at the waistband with one hand, and Noah wiggles his hips to try to help. “Wait, wait, wait,” Dan says, laughing breathlessly as he’s jostled. He sits up, and they manage to get the pants down far enough that Noah can kick them off, then he nestles back down against Noah. He manages to line their cocks up without even looking, intent on kissing Noah so thoroughly that Noah’s brain almost shorts out just from Dan’s tongue.

They rock together, getting themselves damp and sticky with sweat and precome, breaking off their kiss every few minutes to suck in air. Noah tilts his head down so he can watch Dan working against Noah’s abs, and then tilts it back up into another kiss. They can’t get quite enough friction for either of them to actually get off, but Noah doesn’t want to move or take his hands off of Dan’s shoulders, so he just grinds along with Dan’s rhythm.

Finally, Dan takes one of his own hands off of Noah, working it between their bodies until he can curl it around both of their dicks. It shouldn’t be enough to get Noah so close to the edge, but it does anyway. The heat that’s been building between them, fueled by Dan’s messy kisses and the flexing of his thighs against Noah’s, by Dan’s hair tickling under Noah’s jaw as he bites along Noah’s shoulder and the sharp bursts of pleasure from those bites, is suddenly so intense that Noah is seconds from coming.

“Fuck, Dan,” he gasps, head thunking back against the headboard as Dan gives him a particularly vicious bite, twisting his wrist as he palms the heads of their cocks.

“I want you to come,” Dan says, voice low and throaty, and Noah obeys almost immediately, shocked by the immediacy and the force of it. He almost bucks Dan off his lap, but Dan rides it out, holding tight. “That’s it, that’s it,” he says. He keeps stroking, hips still moving as Noah shudders underneath him.

Noah gets his breath back, and relaxes his grip on Dan’s neck. “God,” he sighs, shivering as Dan lets him go, closing his fingers entirely around his own cock, using Noah’s come to help slick his grip. “Come on,” Noah urges, sliding his hand down to Dan’s ass and squeezing, helping him steady his rhythm as his spine starts to lock up.

“Oh fuck,” Dan says, gritting his teeth and pressing them against Noah’s collarbone as he comes. “Oh _fuck_ ,” he repeats, hips working in Noah’s lap, milking every last drop out before slumping forward.

Noah presses his cheek to the side of Dan’s head, feeling his sweat-damp hair and the vein jumping at his temple. He holds him close, feeling the wet warmth between their bellies, Dan’s thighs trembling, his back rising and falling as he tries to catch his breath.

“We did get messy,” Dan says, pulling back enough to look down between them, at the shiny smears on Noah’s abs. Noah rubs a drop of come into Dan’s pubic hair with his thumb, and then brings it to his mouth to suck it clean. “Ugh,” Dan says, closing his eyes and tilting his head back like he can’t bear to watch. Noah laughs.

“Come on, let’s get cleaned up so we can get to sleep. You know the girls are going to be ringing us up to go down to breakfast at some awful hour of the morning.”

Dan rolls off Noah and the bed, careful not to get anything on the covers, and Noah follows. They wash up quickly in the bathroom, only unpacking the necessary toiletries to get clean enough to crawl in between the sheets. 

It’s weird, after a week of sleeping in Dan’s room, with Dan’s tables and Dan’s lamps, to be in a hotel bed. The mattress is slightly too soft, and the bedding smells all wrong. But as soon as Dan wraps himself around Noah, everything feels right.

“Hey,” Dan says, just as Noah’s starting to drift off. He hums in response, and Dan splays his hand on Noah’s belly, where he’s now fresh and clean. “I love you.”

Noah blinks his eyes open and stares out into the dark room. He puts his hand over Dan’s, curling their fingers together against his navel. “I love you, too.” Then he closes his eyes again, and lets himself fall asleep.


	7. Sunday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Again with the honesty  
>  If we’re doing it properly  
> Then what you have on me is called a monopoly  
> It’s like I’m part of your property  
> Goin’ down like a fallin’ tree in a forest no one’s found but I do make a sound when I fall down obviously  
> And oh I know everything changes  
> But oh my god you’re speaking my language  
> And oh now it feels like all I can say is  
> That oh my god you’re speaking my language_  
> \- “Honesty,” Noah Reid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I’m not the only one who read [this quote](http://exclaim.ca/film/article/schitts_creek_star_noah_reid_premieres_honesty_from_forthcoming_solo_album) and thought, “That’s about one Daniel Joseph Levy.”

The desk phone ringing wakes Noah up. It’s a shrill, piercing ring. Redmond gives one low, startled woof from the foot of the bed, and Dan groans as he uncurls his arms from around Noah’s waist.

“What the fuck?” Noah asks the darkened room. He can see sunlight limning the blackout curtains, and the flashing red of the phone as it continues to ring. Dan’s foot connects with Noah’s calf under the covers, nudging insistently. 

Knuckling sleep from the corner of his eye, Noah rolls out of bed and crosses the room to fumble the receiver off of its stand.

“Hello?”

“Hello,” chirps the eerily bright automatic voice on the other end. “This is your 6 a.m. wakeup call. Hello, this is your 6AM wakeup call.”

Noah looks at the receiver, still repeating the message, and then hangs it up.

“Who’s it?” Dan mumbles from bed, face half hidden by a pillow.

“A wakeup call. Did you set a wakeup call?”

The pillow flops sideways, revealing a squinty glare and Dan’s spectacularly mussed hair. He looks so adorably pissed that the last of Noah’s annoyance fades away. “Absolutely not.”

“Well, neither did I.” They stare at each other for a beat and then groan in unison.

“I’m going to murder Annie when I see her,” Dan swears, pulling the covers up to his ears. Noah crosses the room and slides back into his spot. The sheets are still warm. Redmond has settled back down on his travel bed, and they have an hour until Noah’s phone alarm is set to go off. He fumbles until his fingers hit soft cotton, and then he slides his hand over to get a good grip on Dan’s hip, turning his body easily into Noah’s arms.

“While I completely understand the compulsion, I think you’d probably regret that when your arrest voids your contract with ABC.”

“Why are you using words like ‘compulsion’ when the creepy voice on the phone said it’s 6 a.m.?”

Noah kisses the grumpy furrow of Dan’s forehead, the wrinkle of his nose. He smoothes out under Noah’s lips, still grumbling to himself but getting quieter, body getting heavier and looser, fingers uncurling on Noah’s chest. Another couple of kisses to the rough scrape of his cheek and the soft hair curling over his ear and he’s out again, breath fanning across Noah’s throat.  
Relaxing back into the pillows, Noah holds Dan close. He’s not going to be able to fall asleep again, and he doesn’t really want to either. Rude though the awakening was, it’s given him extra time to bask in this feeling that he’s going to be sorely missing for the next few weeks. He doesn’t want to give that up.

He can sleep on the flight.

Dan starts to wake up again when the digital clock on the bedside table reads 6:38. Noah sweeps his hand up over Dan’s forearm, the jut of his elbow, the curve of his biceps, to tuck his fingertips into Dan’s short sleeve. Dan squeezes Noah’s hip and rubs his face back and forth across Noah’s chest, stubble scratching over Noah’s nipple. Noah hisses, and Dan goes still.

“Hm,” he hums speculatively. He’s still twitching off sleep, toes curling against Noah’s shin, smacking his lips.

“Good morning,” Noah says, sweeping his thumb along the warm bare skin inside Dan’s upper arm.

“Actually good, since the phone isn’t shrieking at us.”

“You fell asleep again easily enough.”

“You didn’t, I’m guessing?”

“Nah.” Noah squeezes the arm curled around Dan’s shoulders. “Just enjoying this.”

“We have time to enjoy anything else?” Dan tilts his head back to look up at Noah, using the opportunity to scrape against Noah’s nipple again. Noah shifts his hips on the bed.

In all honesty, they don’t need to be up and out of bed until about 8 o’clock. They promised to meet everyone for breakfast before they have to start leaving for the airport. But Noah set his alarm earlier so that he and Dan could take their time getting out of bed. Which means they have more than an hour for whatever Dan wants to enjoy.

Dan is still looking up at Noah, waiting, and Noah tips his chin down so he can meet Dan’s eyes. “What did you have in mind?”

Instead of closing the space between them for a kiss, or continuing his stubbly assault on Noah’s nipple, or even sliding his hand over the scant centimeters it would take for him to feel how hard Noah already is, Dan rolls away. Noah is about to protest when Dan gets an arm under Noah’s back and pulls him up.

It’s clear then what Dan is looking for, and Noah doesn’t waste any time shoving the covers away so he can rise up over Dan, crawling over one of Dan’s flannel-clad thighs to settle in the space made for him there. With one hand braced on the bed, he leans down so he can just graze his lips over Dan’s darkly shadowed jaw.

“This about what you were thinking?” Noah asks. He wiggles his fingers under the hem of Dan’s shirt, lifting it enough so he can scratch through the hair under Dan’s navel. He can feel the involuntary jump of Dan’s abs, and the shiver that goes through him. Even in the bare traces of sunlight in the room, Dan’s eyes and teeth flash as he grins.

“It’s a start.”

Noah pushes Dan’s shirt up, until he can feel the softer, thicker hair that covers Dan’s chest. He sifts through until he reaches a nipple, and then he pinches it. He holds the pinch for a second, until Dan sucks in a breath through his teeth, and then soothes it with the pad of his thumb. He would soothe it with his tongue, but he doesn’t want to move enough to allow space for Dan to take his shirt off.

“Fuck,” Dan says, voice breaking as Noah rubs his thumb steadily back and forth. Dan’s legs spread wider around Noah’s hips, cold toes touching where Noah’s pants have ridden up at the ankles. Noah drops his head and gets his tongue involved anyway, licking Dan’s nipple through the thin cotton of his shirt. He gets it damp and then nips the bud of it with the edge of his teeth. “Ah,” Dan gasps, and his hands press down on Noah’s back, trying to get Noah to lower his hips the rest of the way.

Noah tenses, pushing back against the pressure Dan is exerting, and moves his fingers and his mouth over to the other nipple. Dan’s head twists side to side on the pillow, making the air around them smell like hotel detergent and Dan’s shampoo, and he’s breathing hard through his nose. It’s so easy to get him going this way, especially first thing in the morning, and the power of it makes Noah’s whole body hum.

He’s a little rougher on this nipple, using his nails when he pinches, biting a little harder through Dan’s shirt. Dan is clearly trying to stay quiet, but he can’t quell the whimpers in his throat as Noah works him over. 

Eventually, Dan gives up on trying to get Noah to grind down against him and starts focusing his attention on getting Noah to lift his head, presumably for a kiss. It’s the only other thing that can get Dan revved up as much as playing with his nipples, and since it’s also one of Noah’s favorite things, he relents. He lets Dan’s now-clumsy fingers, tugging behind Noah’s ears and the hinge of his jaw, pull him up to Dan’s mouth. It’s already open, lips parted around Dan’s ragged breaths, easy for Noah to fit his own mouth over it, sliding his tongue right inside.

The kiss is sloppy, dirty, from the moment their lips meet, and it’s making Noah feel just as frantic as Dan. He keeps himself at a slight distance for a little longer, their mouths the only real intentional point of contact, until he’s too lost in Dan’s mouth to hold out any longer and he drops to his elbows, bracketed on either side of Dan’s head, the rest of his body coming flush with Dan’s.

Dan groans, arms and legs twining around Noah and locking into place. Noah wants to say, “You feel so good.” He wants to say, “I don’t want you to let go.” But he doesn’t want to break their kiss long enough to say anything. And the first full roll of Dan’s hips against his wipes his mind completely clean of anything but “fuck yes.”

The friction of fabric is good, it’s really good, but it’s not what Noah wants, so he does eventually have to tear himself away from Dan’s mouth to make a request. “Off,” is about all he can manage, his voice all breath and gravel.

It takes a lot of untangling of their limbs and shifting around on the bed to get naked, but it’s worth it when they come back together. Noah tucks his face into the crook of Dan’s neck, going straight for his favorite spot.

“Noah,” Dan sighs, tilting his head to give Noah more room. Noah covers every reachable centimeter of Dan’s neck with kisses, making his way down to Dan’s collarbone, where he leaves a quick but brutal hickey. Dan hisses again, bucking up, cock riding the crease of Noah’s hip. 

Noah reaches down for it, rubbing his fingertips over the wet tip, stroking down it best he can in the limited space between their bodies. Dan whimpers, clutching Noah’s back, nails digging into Noah’s shoulder blades.

Letting go of Dan’s cock gets him another whimper, but it breaks into a gasp when Noah trails his sticky fingers down to Dan’s hole, tapping against it.

“God, yes, please,” Dan says, spreading his legs more to give Noah room to maneuver.

Thankfully past Noah had been smart enough to drop lube and a condom into the nightstand drawer before they left for the gala, and he only has to lean away from Dan for a second to retrieve it. When he comes back he drops a kiss to Dan’s waiting mouth, then to the peak of one nipple, before settling on the thin, smooth skin of Dan’s inner thigh. He gets the lube open and gets a finger wet before skimming it back over Dan’s hole.

Noah absolutely fucking loves fingering Dan. Not only because of the way it feels, the heat and the clench, or because of the anticipation, getting a preview of what he’s going to get when Dan is ready enough. He loves it because of how desperate it makes Dan.

It doesn’t take long to get him there, Noah’s got one finger in up to the second knuckle and is just about to work in a second when Dan nudges Noah with his heel.

“More,” Dan says, commanding even as his voice breaks in the middle of the word. Noah pauses, like he always does when Dan gets demanding, the tip of his index finger barely resting on Dan’s rim. “Noah,” Dan whines, and Noah grins against Dan’s thigh, then pushes in.

Not long after that, when Noah is rocking his curled fingers in and out, Dan squeezes Noah’s shoulder. “I’m good, come on,” he says, hips rolling down against Noah’s hand. Noah knows better, and keeps up his steady pace, free hand reaching for the lube so he can wet a third finger.

He should be able to get three going before Dan gets really bitchy about it, which is Noah’s favorite part. Dan doesn’t disappoint; as soon as Noah’s got all three fingers inside Dan kicks Noah in the ass. “I said I’m good.”

“Yeah, I heard you,” Noah says, lifting his head so he can see Dan’s lip curling, eyes dark and intent.

“Then what are you doing?”

Noah responds by driving his fingers in as deep as they can go and curling them, and Dan’s eyes squeeze closed, mouth opening wide around a gasp.

“Oh, _oh_ , fuck.”

“That’s it,” Noah says, repeating the motion a few times, Dan’s fingernails sharp against his shoulder as his whole body shudders. Noah noses over to Dan’s cock, so hard and flushed, wet at the tip. Noah licks some of the precome off of Dan’s belly, then off the head of his dick. The taste of it makes Noah shiver and rut down against the mattress.

If he wants to last at all, he’s going to have to move things along.

The noise Dan makes when Noah pulls his fingers out is a mix of anguish and annoyance, and Noah wholeheartedly agrees. He wipes his hand clean on the sheets, vowing to himself to leave a nice tip for housekeeping, so he can get the condom wrapper open. Dan’s eyes blink open at the sound, and he clings to Noah’s elbows, thumbs pressing into the indents, biting his bottom lip.

Noah rolls on the condom, spreads more lube over it, and leans down over Dan to line himself up. He times a kiss perfectly with the first nudge of the head of his dick against Dan’s hole, and they both groan against each other’s mouths.

Dan feels even more incredible around Noah’s cock than he did around Noah’s fingers, hot and so tight. Noah licks into Dan’s mouth as he pushes forward in increments, letting Dan’s body adjust to Noah’s size. It doesn’t take long, Dan pressing down urgently in the small of Noah’s back.

When Noah slides all the way inside, Dan makes a noise deep in his chest that devastates Noah, completely obliterates him. He loses control of his body, hips working on their own as he kisses Dan for all he’s worth. He registers sensations in bright, warm bursts: Dan’s nails biting into his ass, Dan’s tongue sliding against his own, Dan’s hole clenching as Noah pulls almost all the way out and then shoves back in. Dan’s moans are muffled by Noah’s mouth but are the only things Noah can hear other than the blood rushing in his ears.

He’s with it just enough to get his knees underneath him, one arm under Dan’s ass, lifting to change the angle and give Noah more leverage. Dan’s arms come up around Noah’s shoulders, wrists crossed behind Noah’s neck, and his head drops back against the pillow.

“God, fuck, Noah,” he gasps up into Noah’s face. Noah licks under his jaw, stubble scraping his tongue, over to the side of his neck where Noah presses his teeth.

It’s an afterthought to reach down and circle Dan’s dick with his fingers, letting the momentum of their bodies rocking together push it through Noah’s fist. Dan’s trying so hard not to make too much noise, but he can’t stop the moan that shakes out of his throat as he comes.

Noah uses Dan’s neck and shoulder to muffle his own, thrusting hard into Dan and holding, feeling the way he tightens in pulses around Noah’s cock. Pleasure crashes through Noah, and he comes so hard he almost blacks out. Spots dance in his vision, and he blinks a few times to try to clear them.

“Jesus,” he croaks. A droplet of sweat drips from his temple to the hinge of his jaw and then down on to Dan’s shoulder, and Noah drops his head to lick it back up.It sends a shiver racing through Dan, making him squeeze briefly around Noah’s softening cock. “Ah, fuck, don’t,” Noah laughs, trying to get his legs to obey him enough to push off of Dan.

“I’m not,” Dan starts, then shivers again. “Not trying to do anything.” Noah finally figures out where his hands are and lifts himself up. Dan’s mouth is slack, eyes blinking languidly. “Are we dead?”

Noah laughs again, hips grinding forward without his permission. He hisses, oversensitive, and then reaches down to hold the condom so he can pull out. Dan grimaces, and Noah removes it, tying it off and dropping it over the side of the bed.

“Don’t,” Dan says, flailing one arm out towards the edge of the mattress.

“You want to stand up to throw it away?” Noah flops over onto his side, knee bumping Dan’s, heart still racing.

“I’m totally going to.” Dan’s leg twitches. “Right now.”

“Ah, yes, look at you go.”

One of Dan’s hands pats at Noah’s arm weakly. “We might actually be dead.” Noah grins, and Dan turns his head. “I can’t even be annoyed, you really were that fucking good.”

“Wasn’t all me,” Noah says. He brushes his fingertips over one of Dan’s nipples, and Dan flinches away.

“You must stop.”

Noah sighs, putting on an exaggerated pout.

“As soon as we can stand, we need to shower. Well, you need to take care of that condom first, but then shower.”

“I’m going,” Noah says. He rolls over and slides his legs out of the bed, feet tingling against the carpet. He’s able to stand, shakily, and find where he dropped the condom. As he bends over to retrieve it he sees Redmond, curled up in his travel bed under the hotel desk, looking for all the world like he’s judging their entire lives. “Sorry,” Noah says, feeling a little bad for possibly traumatizing him, and then flees to the bathroom.

The hotel shower is one of those fancy, walk-in, rainstorm types, and even though it’s on the smaller side they decide to share. Noah uses the excuse of saving time but they both know it’s a ruse. They just don’t want to leave each other’s side. The shitty water pressure doesn’t even bother Noah, because he receives the tenderest hair washing of his entire life, and then gets to grope Dan under the guise of drying him off as they step out.

Since it’s a travel day for both of them, they don’t spend too long getting ready. Not that Noah would anyway, but Dan forgoes styling his hair and just scrapes it away from his face to tuck it under a toque. He looks so cute in his big sweater, ears sticking out, that Noah has to grab him for a kiss.

“Stop trying to distract me,” Dan scolds, but he’s smiling, his very pleased sideways smile, as he jingles Redmond’s leash in his hands. “I have to take Red out.” Noah lets Dan crouch and get Red’s leash clipped on, but as soon as Dan straightens up he puts his arms right back around Dan’s waist. He drops a kiss to the side of Dan’s neck, on the strip of skin between the crew neck of his undershirt and the toque. Dan laughs, belly jumping against Noah’s. “You’re insufferable.”

There’s a knock on the hotel room door then, and Noah pulls himself away so he can answer it.

“Ugh,” Annie says, Emily grinning behind her. Noah frowns, looking down at himself and then around the room. He’s completely dressed, and the bed is mostly put back together. There’s no condom wrapper in sight, and he’s already repacked the lube. When he looks back to Annie, she’s rolling her eyes. “I was talking about your face.”

Noah touches his cheek, and Emily laughs as Annie brushes past Noah into the room. “You just look really happy. She hasn’t had coffee yet.”

It surprises a laugh out of him, and he gives Emily’s shoulders a squeeze, bringing her in from the hallway.

He feels happy enough to be disgusting. Even with his flight looming closer, even with other people encroaching on his remaining time with Dan. The future doesn’t seem so murky, the weeks apart don’t seem so insurmountable. 

The incredible orgasm helped, too, of course.

“Okay, we need to get to breakfast stat,” Dan says, pushing a hand against Annie’s surly face. “Someone needs caffeine and sustenance.”

“You take Red out, we’ll get a table,” Noah says, and leads Annie and Emily from the room.

They commandeer a couple of tables in the hotel restaurant, and as soon as Annie has a cup of coffee in front of her she perks up dramatically. 

“I’d forgotten how awful you are in the mornings,” Noah says, cradling his own mug in his hands.

“Shut it, Reid,” Annie says, but without any real heat behind it. She does kick him under the table though.

Stacey sits next to Dan and leans close to his shoulder, glancing over at him. They do their thing where they communicate with nothing but bouncing eyebrows and tilting mouths. Noah watches it closely, able to decipher enough of it to know Stacey’s checking in with Dan. Dan seems to reassure her, and after she’s satisfied enough to divert her attention to the menu Dan tips his smile at Noah, reassuring him too.

“When’s your flight?” Sarah asks, elbow bumping Noah’s to get his attention.

“Not until 1:30.”

“Right before ours.” Everyone else is headed back to LA together. Noah’s glad Dan will have them with him because no matter how good they feel about things, their goodbye is going to suck.

“Yeah, we planned it that way,” Dan says. Everyone looks at him and then at Noah, and then reacts in their own unique ways. Annie gags quietly into her coffee, Stacey leans back into Dan’s space, and Emily _aws_ so loudly she draws attention from a couple of other nearby diners. Sarah stays quiet, but Noah’s sure she’s watching Dan sympathetically. Noah slides his foot across the carpet until he can tap the toe of his sneaker against the toe of Dan’s, and they share a small smile.

“Don’t worry, I have tissues in my purse,” Stacey assures everyone, and that makes them laugh enough to move on to other topics of conversation.

After they order, time seems to speed up again until they’re settling the bill and heading back to the elevator. Inside, Dan takes Noah’s hand, and doesn’t let go even when the doors open to let them out onto their floor. They have a few minutes to finish packing and get back downstairs to meet the car that will take them to the airport, and they spend the first couple against the wall just inside their room, kissing slow and soft.

“This is going to hurt,” Dan says into the sensitive skin of Noah’s throat.

“Yep.” Noah gets his hands under Dan’s sweater and shirt so he can palm the slightly sweaty skin of Dan’s lower back. “But that’s okay. A little hurt is okay, because we know it won’t last.”

“And I really don’t mean to keep bringing it up—”

“Hey.” Noah uses his chin against the side of Dan’s face to stop him, get him to pull back so Noah can look into his eyes. “Talking about it is good. We should do more talking.”

“I was kind of thinking we should be kissing more, since we have to be downstairs in like ten minutes.” Dan pulls his lips into his mouth and bites them together, dimples getting more pronounced as he tries to suppress his grin.

“Okay, well in this case you’re right, I just mean in general.”

“Mmhm,” Dan hums.

“Shut up, come here.” 

Dan obeys, grin popping out before he presses his lips to Noah’s.

They make it downstairs just as Stacey is putting her phone up to her ear, and Dan’s phone starts buzzing in his hand. Noah ducks his head, sheepish smile blooming across his face, and lets Dan take the brunt of the teasing as they make their way out to the car.

Noah gets in first and squeezes up against the door, putting his arm around Dan’s shoulder as he slides in next to Noah so he can pull him close. Red sits on Dan’s lap, front paws on Noah’s thighs so he can look out the window. Stacey sits on Dan’s other side and mercifully doesn’t say a word, and they ride to the airport curled together and quiet, watching the rows of Victorians roll by.

Since Noah is flying internationally, they all have to part ways a lot sooner than is ideal. Noah hugs Emily first, then Annie. He’d forgotten he won’t get to see them until the Up Close and Personal shows, either, and he’s surprisingly emotional about it. Annie pinches his back as she squeezes him, and he chuckles wetly.

“Love you,” she says, and he swipes the back of his hand under his nose before he replies.

“You too.”

Stacey is much nicer to him as she slips her arms around his waist, leaning up to tell him, “He’ll be good, we got him.”

“Thanks, Stace,” he says, holding her close. He’s not going to see her for even longer, and even though that’s pretty standard for their friendship, it still makes the ache in his chest sharper. But knowing that she’s going back with Dan, probably straight to his house, helps.

Same with Sarah, who gives him the sweetest hug, and a peck on the cheek to boot. Her eyes look a little shiny, and he can feel his own eyes stinging. “I’ll see you soon,” he says.

“Not soon enough,” she responds. She’s not wrong.

Then the only goodbyes left are Redmond and Dan. Noah doesn’t know which one to tackle first, but Redmond seems to sense what’s happening and comes forward quietly, nosing at Noah’s ankle. It breaks him, and he crouches down to wet Redmond’s fur with his tears.

“I’ll miss you,” Noah says, even if it feels a little silly to say it out loud. “Be a good boy for your dad.” Red licks Noah’s chin, where tears are dripping, and Noah laughs, sniffling. “Love you too, buddy.”

He can hear someone else sniffle, and he looks up to see almost everyone with wet faces, Dan included. Emily has her head on Annie’s shoulder. Noah laughs again. 

“Sorry guys,” he says, wiping under his eyes.

“Here,” Sarah says, and takes Redmond’s leash from Dan. “We’ll wait by security.” The ladies all walk away, Red in tow, Stacey blowing kisses over her shoulder at Noah. Noah gives them a wobbly grin, and then turns to Dan.

“Fuck,” he says. Dan nods, making grabby motions with his hands until Noah steps into his arms.

It’s the same as it always is, that sense of rightness that fills Noah all the way up when he and Dan are together. The way their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces, the way Noah feels calmer with his arms around Dan, Dan’s hands splayed wide against his back.

Dan’s making the noise he always makes when he’s trying not to fully sob in front of people, and it cracks something open in Noah’s chest. Noah holds him tighter, trying to imprint the feel of his chest and his hips and his shoulders and his stubbled cheek in his own body so he can carry it back to Toronto with him. 

“Three weeks until Denver,” Noah says tremulously.

“That’s not long at all,” Dan replies. He sounds surprisingly optimistic through his tears, and it soothes the ache in Noah’s heart. 

“It’s not.”

“And then only another few weeks until we have more shows.”

“And then you’ll be in Toronto for mine.”

“I will.” Dan pulls back, taking one hand off of Noah to scrub at his face before returning it to Noah’s shoulder. 

“I love you,” Noah says. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

“Me too. You’ll call as soon as you’re home?”

Noah reaches up to brush a tear from the corner of Dan’s eye. He leaves his thumb there, stroking Dan’s cheekbone. “I’ll FaceTime as soon as I get to my place,” he corrects. Dan smiles, shakily at first but then more steady. Noah risks a quick, firm kiss to that smile, then pulls Dan into another hug. He kisses Dan’s cheek, and then his neck, right in his favorite spot, lingering there and taking a deep breath.

“You should go,” Dan says. He cups his hands over Noah’s shoulder and pushes him back.

“Text me when you board,” Noah says, as Dan squeezes his fingers and then removes them, backing away. Noah tries not to reach out for him to draw him back. They’ve said goodbye before, and they’re in a much better place now than they have been before, they’re going to be fine.

“I will. I love you,” Dan says. He’s still backing up, and Noah steels himself, then smiles.

“Turn around. And don’t look back.”

“You first.”

Noah goes, because he has to, and he doesn’t want Dan to have to do it first. He doesn’t look back, just puts one foot in front of the other, staring forward at the signs pointing him to the correct terminal, eyes prickling with fresh tears. Even knowing that they’re going to see each other soon, even knowing that they’re on solid ground and Noah doesn’t have to worry, he can feel the crack starting again.

When he gets to security, he takes off his shoes and empties his pockets into the bin. Phone, notebook, pen, wallet, and last but not least, the rings. He’d tucked them in there after he got dressed that morning, wanting to have them with him for comfort. The sight of them fills his lungs, his heart. As he’s recombombulating he holds them in his palm, thinks about slipping them back into his pocket.

Instead he slips them onto his fingers, and the calm that washes over him is just like being back in Dan’s arms.

At the gate, he holds his palm flat against his thigh and takes a photo with his phone. He sends it to Dan without any words. His phone lights up with a response not a minute later. No words, just a photo of Dan’s hand, a circle of gold on his ring and index fingers.

Noah smiles down at his phone, eyes dry and heart happy, until it’s time to board the plane. Then he pops in his earbuds, cues up some Neil Young, and texts Dan again.

_Boarding now, have a safe flight. Love you._

_Love you too. See you soon._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t believe sex week is over. I feel sort of like these guys feel as they’re leaving, which I suppose is appropriate. Thank god we have Gray’s lake house to look forward to.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and live flailing in our little channel that has become like home to me, for commenting, kudosing, and generally showing this fic - and me - love. It was my first offering for this fandom that has given me so much, and I couldn’t be happier with the reception. Sparkles for everyone.
> 
> Now go read the last part of the "series": [i'm not covering my eyes this time](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22742248) by thegrayness


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